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Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, perfectly timed for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a burst of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for everyone to execute these tricky movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see the timing to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the feature and adding fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a once niche movement quirk accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says developers wants players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at other games, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we provide these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because right now, some of these techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we make a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will boost users upward faster than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. But it's the high-flying this Legend who's getting significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks applied to make her stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," states character developer the designer. "Certainly that she's been dominant previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in current the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer says Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed during flight, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, allowing the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag opponents who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches teammates skyward for repositioning or escape — requires reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains recently added perk choices that players can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly facelift, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says the game Season 27 is all about giving players the tools they need to compete in the competition.

"Really, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer the lead.

Apex Legends the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at the specified times.