🔗 Share this article

The game developers have an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability gives players a surge of propulsion when scaling obstacles. As explained lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique was previously been a feature of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "mantle jumping." But it's no easy feat 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 movement boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for some time, but executing it requires skill to pull off and a player might not realize it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can easily see the timing to trigger the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk available to all players? Principal designer the development lead explains the team aims for players to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafing, and we examined at other games, looked at what our players execute, and we said, 'How can we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since right now, some of these techniques are kind of janky to use — you need to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. We proposed, 'What if we create a more official implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is largely the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will boost users upward much quicker than it used to. Her defensive walls now include a roof and capability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. However the spotlight is on aerial this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as more potent, faster, and deadlier.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in current the game. It was an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of restore her to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and introduced significant modifications. Her jetpack received improvements, increasing her speed while airborne, and this equipment now recharge much quicker, enabling her to spend more time in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to mark opponents who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape — requires much less time to activate. She's also getting some new perk choices that users can select to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's lone airborne map, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers says the game Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources they need to compete in the competition.

"Really, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," says principal designer Josh Mohan.

The battle royale the Amped season releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.