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The game developers has a special treat in store for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's super-slick traversal will be pleased to discover that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season goes live on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of the game for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for a while, but executing it requires skill to pull off and a player would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the mechanic and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk accessible to everyone? Principal designer the development lead says the team aims for players to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, looked at what our players execute, and we said, 'What if we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — you need to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we create a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost users into the air faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on aerial this Legend who's getting significant improvements now, with various adjustments applied to make her more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment is here," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was top-tier previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she fell behind in current Apex. 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 current strategies, Holstead says the team evaluated all her skills and implemented significant changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, allowing the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag enemies who take damage from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for repositioning or retreat — now takes much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added perk choices that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn state Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the tools they need to keep up with matches.

"Really, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer the lead.

The battle royale the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.