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Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player might not realize it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to activate the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and adding fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says the team aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we provide some of this power to more players?'" Mohan explains. "Because right now, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we make a more official implementation?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the name of the game in this season, with Legends Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel players into the air much quicker than it used to. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. However the spotlight is on aerial this Legend receiving the most attention now, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," says Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in current Apex. It was an ideal chance for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes Respawn assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing velocity during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to remain longer in the air. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to mark opponents who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts teammates into the air for redeployment or escape — now takes much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Her jet pack fulfills the pilot experience," he says.

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's only floating arena, this location, is getting a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn state Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the resources they need to keep up with the competition.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.