🔗 Share this article

The game developers has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends players, perfectly timed for festive season. Enthusiasts of this game's highly fluid movement can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic is being implemented when the Amped season goes live on November 4th.

Unveiling The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by the developers, this ability gives players a burst of forward momentum when climbing over obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially been a feature of the game for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." However it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by pro gamers in competitive play or esports competitions. In this update, the team simplifies the process for everyone to successfully perform these advanced speed-boosts.

"Mantle Boosts existed in Apex for a while, but the movement isn't easy to perform and a player would never know it [is in the game] without outside knowledge," the designer explains. "We're adding a Mantle Boost indicator so users can clearly identify when and how to trigger the high-octane movement ability, opening up the mechanic and introducing fresh strategies to compete for a much wider base."

The Reasoning Behind Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

Why make a once niche movement quirk available to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead says developers wants players to feel powerful — including ones who are inexperienced.

"Our community is doing advanced techniques like super-gliding and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, looked at what our players execute, and we said, 'What if we provide some of this power to a broader audience?'" Mohan clarifies. "Since right now, some of these techniques are somewhat awkward to access — you need to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'What if we create a more official version?'"

The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the central theme in this season, with characters the gravity mage, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant all getting buffs to maintain them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and the Gravity Lift will boost players upward much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover feature overhead protection and the ability to provide speed boosts to allies in range. However it's the high-flying Valkyrie receiving significant improvements this season, with various adjustments applied to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and more lethal.

"I think there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been top-tier in the past, but due to the addition of other characters, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in today's Apex. This presented a really great opportunity for the team to reexamine multiple elements [of her kit] and essentially bring her back to her glory days."

Enhancements to the Aerial Legend

To restore Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, the developer notes Respawn assessed all her skills and introduced some powerful changes. Her VTOL Jets have been upgraded, boosting her speed during flight, and the jets themselves regenerates three times faster, enabling the player to remain longer aloft. She can no longer take damage from her own Missile Swarm, which was enhanced to tag enemies who take damage from it. Her squad redeploy skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for repositioning or escape — now takes much less time to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate takeoff time.

"Her jet pack now delivers on the pilot experience," he comments.

Map Changes

Additionally, the lone airborne map, Olympus, is getting a movement-friendly facelift, with major changes that opens up choke points and renders claiming the high ground a bit less daunting. Respawn says Apex Legends Season 27 focuses on giving players the resources they need to compete in the competition.

"Essentially, we were looking at Apex's fundamental nature as a movement shooter," explains principal designer the lead.

The battle royale the Amped season launches November 4th at the specified times.