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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid movement will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped goes live on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, this technique was previously existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced movement boosts.

"This technique have been in Apex for a while, but the movement requires skill to pull off and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," the designer states. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing new ways to compete for a much wider base."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says the team aims for gamers to experience empowerment — including ones who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend some of this power to more players?'" the designer explains. "Because currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to access — it requires to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we make a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Movement Focus

Movement is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting buffs to help keep them mobile. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and this skill will boost players into the air much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention now, with multiple tweaks applied to make her stronger, faster, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time has arrived," states character developer the designer. "Certainly that she's been top-tier previously, but due to the addition of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's the game. This presented a really great opportunity for us to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant changes. Her jetpack received improvements, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, enabling the player to remain longer in the air. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark opponents who take damage from it. Her Skyward Dive ability — which launches her entire squad into the air for repositioning or escape — requires much less time to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on the pilot experience," he says.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that opens up choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn state Apex Legends this update is all about giving players the tools required to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we were looking at the game's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

The battle royale Season 27: Amped launches Nov. 4 at the specified times.