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Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to pull off and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to activate the fast-paced traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a once niche movement quirk available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says the team aims for players to experience empowerment — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, observed what the community execute, and we said, 'What if we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Because right now, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we create a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Mobility is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel players into the air faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to grant speed boosts to those nearby. However it's the high-flying this Legend receiving significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment is here," states Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt she was dominant previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in today's Apex. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead says Respawn assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, enabling the player 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 the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or escape — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting some new Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn state the game Season 27 focuses on giving players the tools they need to compete in the competition.

"Really, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," says lead Legend designer the lead.

The battle royale the Amped season launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.