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The game developers has a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game'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 The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for some time, but the movement isn't easy to perform and gamers would never know it's possible without external guides," Canavese explains. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a once niche technique accessible to all players? Principal designer the development lead says developers wants gamers to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, some of these techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'What if we make a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving enhancements to maintain them mobile. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel players upward faster than before. Her defensive walls now include a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's the high-flying this Legend who's getting significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her more potent, faster, and deadlier.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment has arrived," says character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly she was dominant previously, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. This presented an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer says Respawn assessed each of her abilities and introduced some powerful modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing her speed during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, enabling her to spend more time in the air. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches teammates into the air for redeployment or escape — now takes reduced delay to activate. She's also getting some new perk choices that players can select 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 that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says the game Season 27 is all about providing gamers the resources required to keep up with matches.

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

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped releases Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.