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

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when scaling ledges and walls. As explained key developer Eric Canavese, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, opening up the feature and introducing fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains the team aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are new.

"Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what our players execute, and we wondered, 'What if we extend these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan explains. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'How about we make a polished implementation?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Movement is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends Horizon, Rampart, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel users into the air much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to those nearby. But it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment has arrived," states character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was dominant previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, Holstead says Respawn evaluated all her skills and implemented significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, increasing velocity while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, allowing the player to remain longer aloft. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to mark enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches her entire squad skyward for repositioning or retreat — requires much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says.

Olympus Improvements

Even the game's lone airborne map, this location, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says Apex Legends this update is all about giving players the tools they need to compete in matches.

"Really, we were looking at the game's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan.

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