🔗 Share this article

The game developers have an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick movement can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. According to key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to execute these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and gamers would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can easily see when and how to activate the high-octane movement ability, opening up the feature and introducing fresh strategies to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan says developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Since right now, certain techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. We proposed, 'How about we make a polished version?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will boost users upward much quicker than before. Her defensive walls feature a roof and capability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. However it's the high-flying Valkyrie receiving significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment has arrived," states Legend designer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, the developer notes Respawn evaluated all her skills and introduced significant changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, boosting her speed during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, allowing her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for redeployment or retreat — requires much less time to activate. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn says the game this update is all about 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 principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.