🔗 Share this article

Respawn Entertainment have a special treat in store for the popular battle royale gamers, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick movement will be pleased to learn that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature provides gamers a surge of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to lead battle royale designer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "ledge boosting." But it's challenging for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, Respawn simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique have been in the game for some time, but executing it isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without external guides," Canavese states. "Now including a visual cue so players can easily see the timing to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the feature and introducing fresh strategies to compete for more players."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure movement quirk available to all players? Principal designer Josh Mohan explains developers aims for gamers to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we wondered, 'What if we provide these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because right now, some of these techniques are kind of janky to access — you need to remap your keybinds and hit one-frame windows. So we said, 'What if we make a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Movement is largely the central theme in this season, with characters Horizon, Rampart, and the aerial combatant all getting enhancements to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will boost players into the air much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. However it's aerial Valkyrie who's getting the most attention this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think many agree that her moment is here," states character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current the game. It was an ideal chance for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim her competitive status in current strategies, the developer says Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed during flight, and this equipment regenerates much quicker, enabling her to remain longer aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy skill — which launches her entire squad skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes reduced delay to activate. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that users can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her ultimate takeoff time.

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

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, this location, 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 Season 27 focuses on providing gamers the resources required to keep up with matches.

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

Apex Legends the Amped season releases Nov. 4 at the specified times.