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The game developers have an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for some time, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it's possible without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see when and how to trigger the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the feature and adding new ways to play for a much wider base."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a once niche technique accessible to everyone? Principal designer the development lead explains the team aims for players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since right now, 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 version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost players into the air faster than before. Her defensive walls now include a roof and the ability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. But it's aerial Valkyrie receiving significant improvements now, with various adjustments implemented to make her stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think 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 new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, the developer notes the team assessed all her skills and introduced significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting velocity during flight, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, allowing her to remain longer aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark opponents who take damage from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which launches her entire squad into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on the pilot experience," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn state Apex Legends this update is all about giving players the tools they need to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

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