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The game developers has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's highly fluid traversal can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for everyone to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique existed 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. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding new ways to play for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains the team aims for gamers to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, looked at what the community are doing, and we wondered, 'How can we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because right now, certain techniques are kind of janky to access — it requires to change controls and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'What if we create a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Mobility is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel players upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls feature overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. However it's the high-flying this Legend who's getting the most attention this season, with various adjustments implemented to make her more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment is here," states Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt she was top-tier previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in current Apex. It was a really great opportunity for us to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn evaluated each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, allowing her to remain longer aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

"Her jet pack now delivers on the pilot experience," Holstead comments.

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, this location, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state Apex Legends Season 27 is all about providing gamers the tools required to compete in matches.

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

The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at the specified times.