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The game developers have a special treat in store for Apex Legends gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of the battle royale'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 Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a surge of propulsion when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, this technique was previously existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these tricky speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in the game for some time, but the movement isn't easy to pull off and gamers might not realize it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer states. "We're adding a visual cue so players can clearly identify when and how to activate the fast-paced traversal skill, making accessible the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to compete for more players."

Why Make It Accessible

Why make a previously obscure technique available to all players? Lead Legend designer Josh Mohan says developers aims for players to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community performs advanced techniques like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at our competition, looked at what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend some of this power to more players?'" the designer clarifies. "Since currently, certain advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to use — it requires to change controls and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we create a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the central theme in this season, with Legends the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will boost players upward faster than before. Her defensive walls now include overhead protection and capability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. But it's aerial this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with various adjustments applied to make her stronger, faster, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," says character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant previously, but with the introduction of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially restore her to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore her competitive status in current strategies, Holstead notes Respawn evaluated each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, boosting velocity during flight, and the jets themselves now recharge three times faster, allowing her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark enemies who take damage from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or escape — now takes much less time to activate. She's also getting some new perk choices that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive activation.

"Her jet pack now delivers on the pilot experience," Holstead says.

Map Changes

Additionally, the only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that opens up choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state the game this update is all about giving players the resources required to keep up with matches.

"Essentially, we examined Apex's core identity as a movement shooter," explains principal designer Josh Mohan.

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