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The game developers has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a surge of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, the team simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in the game for some time, but the movement requires skill to pull off and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see the timing to activate the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to all players? Principal designer the development lead says the team aims for players to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — it requires to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we make a polished version?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel users into the air much quicker than before. Her defensive walls now include a roof and the ability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was an ideal chance for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says the team assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting velocity during flight, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, enabling her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to mark enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added perk choices that players can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the resources they need to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," says principal designer Josh Mohan.

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