🔗 Share this article The Battle Royale's Specialized Traversal Techniques Become Widely Accessible This Season Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4. Introducing The Mantle Boost Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a surge of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. According to key developer Eric Canavese, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts. "Mantle Boosts existed in the game for some time, but the movement requires skill to perform and gamers would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," Canavese states. "Now including a visual cue so users can clearly identify when and how to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, opening up the feature and introducing new ways to compete for more players." Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk accessible to all players? Principal designer the development lead says developers aims for gamers to experience empowerment — including ones who are new. "[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — you need to change controls and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we make a polished version?'" Season 27 Movement Focus Mobility is primarily the name of the game in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, 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 upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's the high-flying this Legend receiving significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her stronger, quicker, and deadlier. "I think many agree that her moment is here," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been dominant previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current the game. This presented an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence." Enhancements to the Aerial Legend To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer notes the team assessed all her skills and introduced significant changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing velocity during flight, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, enabling her to spend more time aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which launches teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation. "Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on the pilot experience," he says. Map Changes Even the game's only floating arena, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state the game Season 27 is all about giving players the tools they need to keep up with the competition. "Essentially, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer Josh Mohan. Apex Legends the Amped season launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.