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Respawn Entertainment has a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick movement can rejoice to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a surge of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. As explained key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky movement boosts.

"This technique existed in Apex for some time, but executing it requires skill to pull off and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can clearly identify the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains the team aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, looked at what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'How can we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to change controls and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we create a polished implementation?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel players into the air much quicker than it used to. Her defensive walls feature a roof and capability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. However the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend who's getting the most attention this season, with various adjustments applied to make her stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment is here," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's the game. It was an ideal chance for us to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and implemented some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing velocity during flight, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, allowing her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark enemies who take damage from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.

"Her jet pack fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead comments.

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn state the game Season 27 is all about giving players the resources required to keep up with matches.

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

Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.