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The game developers has a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a burst of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for some time, but executing it requires skill to pull off and gamers might not realize it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding new ways to play for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains the team aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we examined at other games, observed what our players are doing, and we said, 'What if we extend these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — you need to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we create a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting enhancements to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel players upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls now include a roof and the ability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. However it's the high-flying Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks applied to make her more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment is here," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly she was dominant in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was an ideal chance for us to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes the team evaluated each of her abilities and introduced significant changes. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting velocity while airborne, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, enabling her to spend more time in the air. Now she won't be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or escape — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

"Her jet pack now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. Respawn says the game Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the tools required to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we examined the game's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer the lead.

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