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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid movement can rejoice to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for a while, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we extend some of this power to more players?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to access — you need to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we create a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. But it's aerial Valkyrie who's getting the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer the designer. "Certainly that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in current the game. This presented an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and essentially bring her back to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes the team evaluated all her skills and implemented some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, boosting velocity while airborne, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, enabling her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark opponents who take damage from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or retreat — now takes much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate activation.

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

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers state the game this update focuses on providing gamers the resources they need to compete in the competition.

"Essentially, we examined Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

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