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The game developers have a special treat in store for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid traversal will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. This season, the team simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for some time, but the movement isn't easy to perform and a player might not realize it's possible without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to play for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan says developers wants gamers to experience empowerment — including ones who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because currently, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to change controls and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the central theme in this season, with characters Horizon, Rampart, 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 players into the air faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on aerial Valkyrie who's getting the most attention now, with various adjustments applied to make her more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that her moment is here," says character developer the designer. "Certainly she was dominant in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's the game. This presented an ideal chance for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and implemented significant modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing her speed during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, enabling her to spend more time aloft. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her ultimate activation.

"Her jet pack now delivers on the pilot experience," he says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state Apex Legends this update focuses on providing gamers the tools required to keep up with the competition.

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

The battle royale Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.