🔗 Share this article

The game developers has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a burst of propulsion when scaling obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and gamers would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer states. "Now including a visual cue so players can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding new ways to compete for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan explains the team wants players to experience empowerment — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, observed what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we make a more official version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost players into the air much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment is here," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in current the game. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says Respawn evaluated all her skills and introduced significant modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed during flight, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, allowing her to remain longer 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 skill — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.

Map Changes

Even the game's lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and makes claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. The developers state the game this update is all about giving players the resources they need to keep up with matches.

"Essentially, we were looking at the game's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," says lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

The battle royale the Amped season releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.