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Respawn Entertainment have a special treat prepared for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick movement can rejoice to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a surge of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. As explained key developer 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 casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a visual cue so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, opening up the feature and adding fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk accessible to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan says the team aims for players to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, looked at what our players are doing, and we said, 'How can we provide some of this power to more players?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to change controls and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'What if we make a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," says Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current the game. This presented an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes the team assessed all her skills and implemented some powerful modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, allowing her to remain longer aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches her entire squad into the air for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn says the game this update focuses on giving players the tools required to keep up with the competition.

"Really, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.