🔗 Share this article Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream During This Update Respawn Entertainment has a special treat in store for the popular battle royale gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's super-slick traversal can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th. Unveiling Mantle Boosting Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability provides gamers a burst of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of the game for some time, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these tricky speed-boosts. "This technique existed in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer states. "We're adding a visual cue so users can easily see when and how to activate the fast-paced movement ability, opening up the feature and adding new ways to compete for a much wider base." The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics Why make a once niche technique available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced. "Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'What if we provide some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a polished implementation?'" The Amped Update Movement Focus Mobility is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel players upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and capability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, faster, and more lethal. "In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt she was top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in today's Apex. It was an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence." Enhancements to the Aerial Legend To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, Holstead notes Respawn evaluated each of her abilities and introduced some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting velocity during flight, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, enabling the player to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate activation. "Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments. Olympus Improvements Even the game's lone airborne map, Olympus, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. The developers state the game Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the tools they need to compete in matches. "Essentially, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains principal designer the lead. Apex Legends the Amped season releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.