🔗 Share this article

Respawn Entertainment has a special treat prepared for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed 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.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. According to key developer Eric Canavese, this technique was previously been a feature of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." But it's challenging for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, Respawn simplifies the process for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for a while, but executing it requires skill to pull off and a player would never know it's possible without external guides," Canavese explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can easily see the timing to activate the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the mechanic and adding fresh strategies to play for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers wants players to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, looked at what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend some of this power to more players?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we make a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift is shorter, and the Gravity Lift will propel users upward much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However the spotlight is on aerial this Legend receiving the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks implemented to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that her moment is here," says character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt that she's been dominant in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current Apex. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of restore her to her glory days."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in the game's meta, Holstead says the team evaluated each of her abilities and introduced some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, enabling the player to remain longer aloft. Now she won't take damage from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to mark opponents who take damage from the missiles. Her squad redeploy ability — which launches teammates skyward for repositioning or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting recently added perk choices that players can select to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

"Valkyrie's equipment fulfills the pilot experience," Holstead comments.

Map Changes

Even the game's lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says the game Season 27 is all about giving players the tools they need to keep up with the competition.

"Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," says lead Legend designer the lead.

The battle royale the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at the specified times.