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The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's highly fluid traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a surge of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique was previously existed of Apex Legends for some time, often called as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, the team is making it easier for everyone to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique accessible to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains developers wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we said, 'What if we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because right now, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — you need to change controls and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we create a more official version?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward much quicker than it used to. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and the ability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. However it's the high-flying this Legend receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment has arrived," says Legend designer the designer. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she fell behind in current Apex. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and sort of bring her back to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead notes Respawn assessed all her skills and implemented some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed during flight, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, allowing her to spend more time in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for redeployment or escape — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting some new perk choices that users can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate activation.

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

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, is getting a mobility-focused facelift, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers says Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the resources required to compete in the competition.

"Really, we examined Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," says principal designer the lead.

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