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The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's highly fluid movement will be pleased to discover that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for a while, but the movement requires skill to pull off and a player might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer explains. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see when and how to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the mechanic and adding new ways to play for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a once niche technique accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says the team wants players to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at other games, looked at what our players are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will propel players upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was top-tier previously, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she fell behind in today's the game. 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."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes the team evaluated all her skills and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting velocity during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, allowing her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag enemies who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches teammates skyward for redeployment or escape — now takes much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn state the game this update focuses on giving players the resources required to compete in matches.

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

Apex Legends the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.