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Respawn Entertainment have an exciting surprise in store for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for festive season. Enthusiasts of the battle royale's highly fluid movement can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when the Amped season launches on Nov. 4.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Named "Mantle Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. As explained key developer the design lead, Mantle Boosting was previously been a feature of the game for some time, usually referred to as "mantle jumping." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in Ranked Mode or esports competitions. This season, the team is making it easier for players of all skill levels to execute these advanced movement boosts.

"This technique 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," Canavese explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so players can easily see the timing to trigger the high-octane 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 previously obscure technique available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers wants gamers to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] performs advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we examined at our competition, observed what the community are doing, and we said, 'How can we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer clarifies. "Because right now, certain techniques are kind of janky to access — you need to change controls and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we create a polished version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters the gravity mage, Rampart, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to maintain them in motion. The cooldown period on her tactical ability is shorter, and this skill will propel users upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include a roof and capability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying this Legend receiving significant improvements this season, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as more potent, quicker, and deadlier.

"In my opinion many agree that Valkyrie's time is here," says Legend designer the designer. "There's no doubt that she's been top-tier in the past, but with the introduction of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she fell behind in current the game. This presented an ideal chance for us to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially restore her to former prominence."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer notes Respawn evaluated all her skills and implemented some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, boosting her speed while airborne, and the jets themselves now recharge much quicker, allowing the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which was enhanced to tag enemies who are hit from the missiles. Her squad redeploy skill — which launches her entire squad skyward for repositioning or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. Additionally, she gains recently added Legend Upgrades that players can choose to conserve resources, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate activation.

"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," he says.

Map Changes

Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and renders securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers state the game Season 27 is all about providing gamers the tools required to keep up with the competition.

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

The battle royale Season 27: Amped launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.