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The game developers has a special treat prepared for Apex Legends gamers, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when the Amped season launches on November 4th.

Introducing Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when climbing over ledges and walls. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in Apex for a while, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it's possible without outside knowledge," the designer explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can easily see the timing to trigger the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to play for more players."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a once niche technique accessible to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says the team wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are new.

"[The playerbase] is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, looked at what our players execute, and we wondered, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since right now, some of these techniques are kind of janky to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we create a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Movement is primarily the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie all getting enhancements to maintain them mobile. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost players into the air much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to grant speed boosts to those nearby. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend who's getting significant improvements now, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was top-tier previously, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she fell behind in current Apex. It was a really great opportunity for us to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, Holstead says the team evaluated all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, increasing velocity during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, enabling her to remain longer aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts teammates into the air for repositioning or escape — now takes reduced delay to activate. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Her jet pack now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he comments.

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and renders securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. Respawn says the game this update focuses on providing gamers the resources they need to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we examined the game's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer the lead.

Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at the specified times.