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Respawn Entertainment have a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick movement can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and gamers might not realize it's possible without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a visual cue so users can easily see when and how to activate the fast-paced movement ability, opening up the mechanic and adding fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains the team wants players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, looked at what the community execute, and we wondered, 'How can we provide some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because currently, certain techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we create a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel players upward faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to grant speed boosts to those nearby. However the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with various adjustments applied to make her more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment is here," says Legend designer the designer. "Certainly that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in current the game. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes Respawn assessed each of her abilities and introduced significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, enabling her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches her entire squad into the air for repositioning or retreat — now takes much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that expands bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers state Apex Legends this update is all about giving players the resources required to keep up with matches.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains lead Legend designer the lead.

The battle royale Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at the specified times.