🔗 Share this article Apex Legends' Specialized Movement Mechanics Are Going Mainstream During This Update Respawn Entertainment has an exciting surprise prepared for Apex Legends players, arriving just in time for the holidays. Enthusiasts of this game's super-slick movement can rejoice to discover that a new movement mechanic will be introduced when Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4th. Unveiling Mantle Boosting Dubbed "Momentum Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a burst of forward momentum when scaling obstacles. As explained key developer the design lead, this technique was previously existed of Apex Legends for quite a while, often called as "mantle jumping." However it's challenging for casual gamers, and is mainly used by pro gamers in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, the team simplifies the process for everyone to execute these advanced movement boosts. "This technique existed in Apex for a while, but executing it requires skill to pull off and gamers might not realize it's possible without external guides," the designer explains. "We're adding a visual cue so players can clearly identify the timing to activate the high-octane traversal skill, opening up the feature and adding fresh strategies to compete for more players." Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics Why make a previously obscure movement quirk available to all players? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains developers wants players to feel powerful — even those who are inexperienced. "Our community performs other crazy stuff like super-gliding and tap-strafing, and we looked around at our competition, observed what our players execute, and we said, 'What if we extend some of this power to more players?'" Mohan explains. "Since right now, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are somewhat awkward to use — it requires to remap your keybinds and execute within precise timings. So we said, 'What if we create a polished implementation?'" The Amped Update Emphasis on Mobility Mobility is primarily the central theme in Season 27, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and the aerial combatant receiving buffs to help keep them in motion. Recovery time on her tactical ability has been decreased, and this skill will boost users into the air much quicker than before. Rampart's Amped Cover now include overhead protection and the ability to grant speed boosts to allies in range. But the spotlight is on the high-flying Valkyrie who's getting significant improvements this season, with multiple tweaks applied to enhance her as stronger, faster, and deadlier. "In my opinion there's quite a consensus that Valkyrie's time is here," states character developer Ian Holstead. "There's no doubt she was dominant previously, but due to the addition of new Legends, movement[-based] passives, and Evac Towers, it seemed like she's not very relevant in current the game. It was an ideal chance for us to revisit a bunch of aspects in her abilities and essentially bring her back to her glory days." Enhancements to the Aerial Legend To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead notes Respawn assessed each of her abilities and implemented significant modifications. Her VTOL Jets received improvements, increasing her speed while airborne, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, enabling her to remain longer aloft. Now she won't be harmed from her own Missile Swarm, which has also been upgraded to tag enemies who are hit from it. Her Skyward Dive skill — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes reduced delay to fire up. She's also getting recently added Legend Upgrades that users can select to reduce fuel consumption, expand the spread of her Missile Swarm, or accelerate her Skyward Dive takeoff time. "Valkyrie's equipment now delivers on that jet-fighter fantasy," he says. Olympus Improvements Even the game's only floating arena, Olympus, receives a movement-friendly overhaul, with major changes that opens up choke points and makes claiming the high ground more manageable. The developers says Apex Legends this update focuses on giving players the resources they need to compete in matches. "Really, we examined Apex's fundamental nature as a fast-paced FPS," says principal designer Josh Mohan. Apex Legends the Amped season launches November 4th at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.