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The game developers have a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a surge of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. According to key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a once niche technique accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers aims for players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we examined at other games, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because currently, certain techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we create a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost players upward faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But it's the high-flying Valkyrie receiving significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that her moment has arrived," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing her speed while airborne, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, enabling her to spend more time in the air. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state the game this update focuses on providing gamers the resources required to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we examined Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.