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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a burst of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to execute these advanced movement boosts.

"This technique existed in Apex for a while, but executing it requires skill to pull off and a player might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese explains. "Now including a visual cue so users can easily see the timing to trigger the high-octane movement ability, opening up the feature and introducing fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to everyone? Principal designer the development lead explains developers aims for players to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'What if we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to change controls and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the name of the game in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will propel players into the air much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and capability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. However the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention this season, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as more potent, faster, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment has arrived," states Legend designer the designer. "Certainly that she's been top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she fell behind in current Apex. This presented an ideal chance for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects in her abilities and sort of bring her back to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer says the team evaluated all her skills and introduced significant changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, allowing the player to remain longer aloft. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting recently added perk choices that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn state Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources required to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we were looking at the game's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer the lead.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.