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The game developers have a special treat in store for the popular battle royale players, arriving just in time for festive season. Fans of the battle royale's highly fluid traversal can rejoice to discover that an innovative traversal feature is being implemented when Season 27: Amped launches on November 4th.

Introducing The Mantle Boost

Dubbed "Mantle Boosting" by Respawn, this feature gives players a burst of propulsion when scaling obstacles. According to key developer the design lead, this technique has unofficially existed of the game for some time, often called as "ledge boosting." But it's no easy feat for casual gamers, and typically employed by competitive players in competitive play or tournaments. In this update, the team is making it easier for everyone to execute these advanced speed-boosts.

"This technique existed in the game for some time, but executing it requires skill to pull off and a player might not realize it's possible without external guides," the designer states. "Now including a Mantle Boost indicator so players can clearly identify when and how to trigger the fast-paced traversal skill, opening up the feature and adding new ways to compete for more players."

Why Opening Up Advanced Mechanics

What's the reason for making a previously obscure technique accessible to everyone? Lead Legend designer the development lead explains the team aims for players to experience empowerment — even those who are inexperienced.

"[The playerbase] is doing other crazy stuff like super-glides and tap-strafes, and we examined at other games, observed what the community execute, and we said, 'What if we extend these capabilities to a broader audience?'" the designer explains. "Since currently, some of these advanced [movement] mechanics are kind of janky to access — you need to change controls and execute within precise timings. We proposed, 'How about we make a polished version?'"

Season 27 Emphasis on Mobility

Mobility is largely the name of the game in this season, with characters Horizon, the defensive specialist, and Valkyrie receiving buffs to help keep them mobile. The cooldown period on Horizon's Gravity Lift has been decreased, and this skill will boost players upward faster than it used to. Her defensive walls now include a roof and the ability to grant movement bonuses to allies in range. But it's aerial Valkyrie receiving the most attention this season, with various adjustments implemented to enhance her as stronger, quicker, and deadlier.

"I think there's quite a consensus that her moment has arrived," says Legend designer Ian Holstead. "Certainly that she's been dominant previously, but due to the addition of new Legends, mobility perks, and redeployment tools, it felt like she fell behind in today's the game. It was a really great opportunity for us to reexamine a bunch of aspects [of her kit] and sort of restore her to former prominence."

Valkyrie's Upgrades

To reclaim Valkyrie's relevance in current strategies, Holstead notes Respawn evaluated each of her abilities and introduced some powerful modifications. Her jetpack have been upgraded, boosting her speed while airborne, and this equipment now recharge three times faster, allowing her to spend more time aloft. She can no longer be harmed from her ultimate ability, which has also been upgraded to mark opponents who are hit from it. Her squad redeploy ability — which lifts her entire squad skyward for redeployment or retreat — now takes much less time to fire up. She's also getting recently added perk choices that players can choose to reduce fuel consumption, widen the area of her rockets, or accelerate her ultimate activation.

"Her jet pack fulfills that jet-fighter fantasy," Holstead comments.

Map Changes

Even the game's lone airborne map, Olympus, is getting a mobility-focused overhaul, with major changes that expands choke points and makes securing elevated positions more manageable. The developers says the game Season 27 is all about providing gamers the resources required to keep up with the competition.

"Essentially, we examined the game's core identity as a movement shooter," says principal designer the lead.

The battle royale Season 27: Amped releases November 4th at the specified times.