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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 traversal will be pleased to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a surge of propulsion when scaling obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by competitive players in competitive play or tournaments. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in Apex for some time, but the movement 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 Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to play for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers wants players to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what the community execute, and we said, 'How can we provide these capabilities to more players?'" the designer clarifies. "Since right now, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'What if we make a polished version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the name of the game in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting enhancements to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel players into the air much quicker than it used to. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and the ability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. However it's aerial this Legend who's getting significant improvements now, with various adjustments applied to make her stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was dominant previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. This presented a really great opportunity for us to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says Respawn assessed all her skills and implemented significant modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, enabling her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which launches teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to fire up. She's also getting some new Legend Upgrades that players can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says the game Season 27 is all about providing gamers the resources required to compete in matches.

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

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