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The game developers have an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a burst of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. According to key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. In this update, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but the movement requires skill to pull off and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer states. "Now including a visual cue so users can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan says the team aims for gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what our players are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Because right now, some of these techniques are kind of janky to use — you need to change controls and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to maintain them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will propel users into the air faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and capability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. However it's the high-flying this Legend who's getting the most attention this season, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant previously, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she fell behind in current the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead notes the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing velocity during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, enabling her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's lone airborne map, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the tools they need to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," says principal designer the lead.

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