🔗 Share this article

The game developers have a special treat prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Unveiling Mantle Boosting

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a surge of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially been a feature of the game for quite a while, often called as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for the average player, and typically employed by competitive players in Ranked Mode or tournaments. This season, 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 executing it requires skill to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer explains. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see the timing to activate the fast-paced movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing new ways to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a once niche technique available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers aims for gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community execute, and we said, 'What if we provide these capabilities to more players?'" Mohan explains. "Because right now, certain techniques are somewhat awkward to access — you need to change controls and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'What if we make a polished implementation?'"

Season 27 Movement Focus

Mobility is largely the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving enhancements to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will boost players upward faster than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. However it's the high-flying this Legend receiving significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as more potent, faster, and more lethal.

"In my opinion there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time has arrived," states character developer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of other characters, mobility perks, and Evac Towers, it felt like she's not very relevant in current Apex. It was a really great opportunity for the team to revisit multiple elements in her abilities and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To restore her competitive status in the game's meta, the developer says Respawn assessed all her skills and implemented significant changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting velocity while airborne, and this equipment regenerates three times faster, allowing the player to spend more time in the air. Now she won't be harmed from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to mark enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts her entire squad into the air for repositioning or retreat — requires reduced delay to activate. She's also getting recently added perk choices that users can choose to conserve resources, widen the area of her rockets, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly overhaul, with an extensive redesign that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions a bit less daunting. Respawn says the game Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the tools required to compete in matches.

"Essentially, we were looking at Apex's core identity as a fast-paced FPS," explains principal designer the lead.

Apex Legends Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at the specified times.