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The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a burst of propulsion when climbing over ledges and walls. According to key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of Apex Legends for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, the team simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for some time, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a previously obscure technique available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says the team aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are new.

"Our community performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we said, 'What if we provide these capabilities to more players?'" the designer explains. "Since right now, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — you need to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'How about we create a more official version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the central theme in this season, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to maintain them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost users into the air faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie who's getting significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment is here," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in today's Apex. This presented a really great opportunity for us to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer notes the team assessed each of her abilities and introduced significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to spend more time in the air. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches teammates into the air for repositioning or escape — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting some new perk choices that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate activation.

"Her jet pack fulfills the pilot experience," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's only floating arena, this location, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the resources they need to keep up with matches.

"Essentially, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends the Amped season releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.