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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to discover that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game 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, the team is making it easier for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player might not realize it's possible without external guides," the designer states. "Now including a visual cue so users can easily see when and how to trigger the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and adding new ways to compete for more players."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains developers wants players to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since right now, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — you need to change controls and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we make a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the name of the game in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will propel players into the air faster than before. Her defensive walls feature a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial this Legend who's getting significant improvements this season, with various adjustments applied to make her more potent, faster, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "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 fell behind in current Apex. This presented an ideal chance for us to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and sort of bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer says the team evaluated all her skills and implemented some powerful changes. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing velocity while airborne, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, allowing her to remain longer aloft. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who take damage from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts her entire squad into the air 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 Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.

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

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the tools required to compete in matches.

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

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.