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The game developers has a special treat in store for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for some time, but the movement isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to activate the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a once niche technique accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains the team aims for gamers to experience empowerment — including ones who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, looked at what our players are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we make a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that her moment has arrived," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier previously, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, allowing her to remain longer in the air. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts teammates skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting some new Legend Upgrades that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate activation.

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

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers says the game this update is all about giving players the resources they need to compete in matches.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

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