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The game developers has an exciting surprise in store for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick traversal can rejoice to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this feature gives players a burst of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of Apex Legends for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn is making it easier for everyone to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts have been in the game for some time, but the movement requires skill to pull off and gamers would never know it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so users can clearly identify when and how to activate the high-octane traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing new ways to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a once niche movement quirk available to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan says the team aims for players to experience empowerment — including ones who are new.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we looked around at our competition, looked at what our players are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" Mohan explains. "Because right now, certain techniques are kind of janky to access — it requires to change controls and execute within one-frame windows. So we said, 'How about we create a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward much quicker than it used to. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and capability to provide speed boosts to those nearby. However it's the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting significant improvements now, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment is here," says Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt she was dominant previously, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and redeployment tools, it felt like she's not very relevant in current Apex. This presented an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says the team assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, allowing her to remain longer in the air. Now she won't take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag opponents who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts teammates into the air for redeployment or escape — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new Legend Upgrades that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

"Her jet pack fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead says.

Olympus Improvements

Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands bottlenecks and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. Respawn says the game this update is all about giving players the resources required to compete in matches.

"Really, we examined the game's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

Apex Legends the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.