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The game developers has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's highly fluid movement can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a surge of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and gamers 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 fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing fresh strategies to compete for more players."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains the team aims for gamers to experience empowerment — including ones who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, looked at what our players are doing, and we said, 'What if we extend some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'How about we create a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with characters Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving enhancements to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel users into the air faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, 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 revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says the team 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 her to spend more time in the air. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark enemies who take damage from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates skyward for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. Respawn state Apex Legends Season 27 is all about providing gamers the tools required to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," says lead Legend designer the lead.

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