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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid movement can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. As explained lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer states. "Now including a visual cue so players can easily see when and how to activate the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the mechanic and adding new ways to play for more players."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says developers aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we said, 'What if we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we make a polished implementation?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the central theme in this season, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel players upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," says character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been dominant in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. It was a really great opportunity for us to revisit a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead says the team assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting her speed during flight, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, enabling her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark opponents who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts teammates into the air for redeployment or retreat — requires much less time to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added perk choices that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 is all about providing gamers the tools required to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we were looking at Apex's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer the lead.

The battle royale the Amped season launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.