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Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over ledges and walls. According to key developer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for some time, often called as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team simplifies the process for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for some time, but executing it requires skill to pull off and gamers would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer explains. "Now including a visual cue so players can easily see when and how to activate the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk available to all players? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains the team wants players to experience empowerment — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff 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 more players?'" the designer clarifies. "Since currently, certain techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'What if we make a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to maintain them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will boost users upward much quicker than it used to. Her defensive walls feature a roof and capability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was dominant previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's the game. This presented an ideal chance for the team to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, Holstead notes Respawn assessed all her skills and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing velocity during flight, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, allowing the player to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to mark enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on the pilot experience," Holstead says.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers state the game this update is all about providing gamers the tools they need to compete in matches.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

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