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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's highly fluid traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a surge of propulsion when scaling obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's challenging for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced movement 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. "We're adding a visual cue so players can clearly identify when and how to activate the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the mechanic and introducing new ways to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers wants gamers to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what the community execute, and we said, 'What if we provide some of this power to more players?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — it requires to change controls and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we make a polished implementation?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel users into the air faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. However it's aerial this Legend who's getting significant improvements now, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment has arrived," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in today's Apex. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, allowing her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't be harmed from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which launches her entire squad into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state the game this update is all about providing gamers the tools they need to keep up with matches.

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

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped releases Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.