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Respawn Entertainment has a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. As explained key developer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky movement boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for a while, but the movement requires skill to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a once niche technique available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because currently, certain techniques are somewhat awkward to use — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we create a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the central theme in Season 27, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving enhancements to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will boost players upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie receiving significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in current Apex. This presented an ideal chance for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, Holstead notes the team assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing her speed 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 own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches teammates skyward for redeployment or escape — requires reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up bottlenecks and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers state Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the tools required to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we examined the game's core identity as a movement shooter," explains principal designer the lead.

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