🔗 Share this article Apex Legends' Niche Movement Mechanics Become Widely Accessible During This Update The game developers have an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale players, perfectly timed for the holidays. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's highly fluid movement will be pleased to learn that an innovative traversal feature will be introduced when Season 27: Amped launches on Nov. 4. Introducing Mantle Boosting Named "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this ability provides gamers a burst of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting has unofficially existed of the game for quite a while, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. This season, Respawn is making it easier for players of all skill levels to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts. "This technique existed in Apex for a while, but the movement requires skill to pull off and a player would never know it's possible without external guides," the designer states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify the timing to activate the high-octane movement ability, making accessible the feature and introducing new ways to compete for a much wider base." Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics What's the reason for making a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Principal designer the development lead explains the team wants gamers to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced. "Our community is doing other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, looked at what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Because right now, some of these techniques are kind of janky to access — it requires to remap your keybinds and hit precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a more official version?'" The Amped Update Movement Focus Movement is largely the name of the game in Season 27, with Legends the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will propel users into the air faster than before. Her defensive walls feature a roof and the ability to provide movement bonuses to those nearby. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie receiving significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks applied to make her stronger, faster, and deadlier. "I think many agree that her moment is here," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly she was dominant previously, but due to the addition of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. It was an ideal chance for the team to revisit multiple elements [of her kit] and sort of bring her back to her glory days." Enhancements to the Aerial Legend To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer notes the team assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves regenerates much quicker, allowing her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag opponents who take damage from the missiles. Her Skyward Dive ability — which lifts her entire squad into the air for redeployment or retreat — requires reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains some new perk choices that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or further speed up her Skyward Dive takeoff time. "Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead says. Map Changes Even the game's lone airborne map, Olympus, receives a mobility-focused facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says the game this update focuses on providing gamers the tools required to compete in matches. "Really, we were looking at Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains lead Legend designer Josh Mohan. Apex Legends the Amped season releases November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.