🔗 Share this article

The game developers have a special treat in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Fans of this game's highly fluid traversal will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a burst of propulsion when scaling ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by competitive players in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these tricky movement boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for a while, but executing it requires skill to perform and gamers might not realize it's possible without external guides," Canavese explains. "Now including a visual cue so users can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and adding new ways to play for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains developers aims for gamers to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we looked around at other games, observed what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'How can we provide some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Because currently, certain techniques are kind of janky to access — you need to change controls and hit precise timings. So we said, 'What if we create a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel users into the air much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. But it's the high-flying this Legend who's getting significant improvements this season, with various adjustments applied to make her stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"I think many agree that Valkyrie's time has arrived," says character developer the designer. "Certainly she was top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in current the game. This presented a really great opportunity for us to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, the developer notes Respawn evaluated all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing her speed during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, enabling her to spend more time in the air. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag opponents who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which launches her entire squad into the air for redeployment or escape — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

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

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up bottlenecks and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 is all about giving players the tools required to keep up with the competition.

"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped releases Nov. 4 at the specified times.