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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. According to key developer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for everyone to execute these advanced movement boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for some time, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to play for a much wider base."

Why Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a once niche technique accessible to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan says the team aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are new.

"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'What if we extend some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'How about we make a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

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 in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will propel users upward much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and capability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her stronger, faster, and more lethal.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says Legend designer the designer. "Certainly that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in current the game. It was an ideal chance for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says the team evaluated all her skills and introduced significant modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, enabling her to spend more time in the air. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate activation.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says the game Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources required to keep up with the competition.

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

Apex Legends the Amped season releases November 4th at the specified times.