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Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick movement can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, 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." But 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 everyone to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player might not realize it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk available to all players? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are new.

"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, observed what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'How can we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Because currently, certain techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we make a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting enhancements to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost users into the air faster than before. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and capability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. However the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt she was top-tier previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer says Respawn evaluated all her skills and implemented some powerful modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing her speed during flight, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, allowing her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts her entire squad into the air for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate activation.

"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers state Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the resources they need to compete in matches.

"Really, we were looking at the game's core identity as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer the lead.

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