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Respawn Entertainment has a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid movement will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of the game for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, the team simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for some time, but the movement requires skill to perform and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer explains. "Now including a visual cue so players can clearly identify the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the feature and introducing new ways to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to all players? Principal designer the development lead says the team wants players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, looked at what our players are doing, and we said, 'What if we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to access — you need to change controls and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'What if we create a polished implementation?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is primarily the name of the game in Season 27, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel players upward faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her more potent, quicker, and more lethal.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was top-tier previously, but due to the addition of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer notes the team evaluated all her skills and implemented significant modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting velocity while airborne, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, enabling her to spend more time in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which launches teammates into the air for repositioning or escape — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers state the game Season 27 is all about giving players the resources required to keep up with the competition.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," says principal designer Josh Mohan.

The battle royale the Amped season releases November 4th at the specified times.