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Respawn Entertainment has a special treat in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick traversal will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a burst of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique was previously existed of the game for quite a while, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and is mainly used by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in Apex for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see the timing to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing fresh strategies to play for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

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

"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at other games, observed what the community execute, and we wondered, 'What if we extend these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, some of these techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we create a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Mobility is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost players upward much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover now include a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current the game. This presented an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says Respawn evaluated all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, allowing her to spend more time in the air. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to mark opponents who take damage from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which launches her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that players can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead comments.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state Apex Legends this update is all about giving players the resources they need to keep up with matches.

"Essentially, we were looking at the game's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

The battle royale the Amped season launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.