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

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a surge of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of Apex Legends for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn is making it easier for everyone to execute these advanced movement boosts.

"This technique have been in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player would never know it's possible without external guides," Canavese explains. "Now including a visual cue so users can easily see the timing to trigger the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and adding fresh strategies to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains developers wants gamers to experience empowerment — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, observed what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Since currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to change controls and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we make a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with Legends Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will propel players upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls feature a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But it's the high-flying this Legend who's getting significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," states character developer the designer. "Certainly she was dominant previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine multiple elements in her abilities and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says Respawn evaluated each of her abilities and introduced some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting velocity during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, allowing her to remain longer in the air. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which launches teammates skyward for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to fire up. She's also getting some new perk choices that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the tools they need to keep up with the competition.

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

The battle royale Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.