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The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature provides gamers a surge of propulsion when climbing over ledges and walls. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.

"This technique existed in Apex for a while, but the movement isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the feature and introducing 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 accessible to all players? Principal designer the development lead explains the team aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are new.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since right now, some of these techniques are kind of janky to access — it requires to change controls and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we make a more official version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost users upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and capability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. However the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie receiving significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks implemented to make her stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in current the game. This presented an ideal chance for us to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer notes the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing her speed while airborne, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, allowing her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to mark enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches her entire squad into the air for redeployment or retreat — now takes reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, this location, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. Respawn state the game Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the tools required to keep up with matches.

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

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