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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over ledges and walls. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, the team is making it easier for everyone to execute these tricky movement boosts.

"This technique have been in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "Now including a visual cue so users can clearly identify the timing to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the mechanic and adding fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk available to everyone? Principal designer the development lead explains 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 looked around at our competition, looked at what our players execute, and we wondered, 'What if we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'How about we make a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will propel players into the air faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and capability to grant speed boosts to those nearby. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, faster, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," states character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was dominant in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in today's Apex. It was a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead notes Respawn evaluated each of her abilities and implemented some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing velocity while airborne, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, allowing the player 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 squad redeploy skill — which launches her entire squad into the air for repositioning or escape — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, 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. The developers state Apex Legends this update is all about giving players the resources required to compete in the competition.

"Really, we examined Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

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