If you’ve spent any time playing Apex Legends, you’ve probably seen other players running around with flashy, custom melee weapons that feel way more personal than the default karambit or butterfly knife. These ultra-rare cosmetics are called heirlooms, and every character has their own unique version tied to their backstory and personality. If you’re wondering how do you get a heirloom in Apex Legends, you’re not alone – thousands of players grind matches or save up currency every season to add one of these coveted items to their collection. They don’t give any in-game competitive advantage, but they’re one of the most sought-after status symbols in the game for dedicated fans.
How Do You Get a Heirloom in Apex Legends: Core Methods Breakdown
There are only two official ways to unlock an heirloom, no exploits or glitches will get you one without risking a permanent account ban, so stick to these legitimate paths. The first and most common way is via Heirloom Shards, a rare currency that drops randomly from standard Apex Packs. Each shard drop gives you 150 shards, which is exactly the amount you need to purchase any heirloom currently available in the in-game store. The second is to purchase every item in a limited-time Collection Event tied to a specific character’s heirloom release, which grants the heirloom as a bonus reward for 100% completion. You don’t have to rely on luck if you’re willing to save up or spend money on event items, but most players get their first heirloom via random shard drops.
Before you start grinding for an heirloom, there are a few key ground rules you should know to avoid wasting time or money:
- Your match performance, kill count, or win rate has zero impact on how often you get heirloom shards
- Opening packs in bulk vs one at a time doesn’t change your drop odds either
- Heirloom shards don’t expire, so you can save them for a future character’s heirloom if you don’t want any currently available
- You can’t trade or gift heirlooms or shards to other players, even if you have extra
These rules are set in stone by Respawn Entertainment, so don’t fall for any clickbait videos or posts claiming to have a trick to get faster shard drops based on how you play or open packs. None of those tricks work, and they’ll only leave you frustrated.
Understand Heirloom Drop Rates to Plan Your Grind
Heirloom shard drop rates are publicly disclosed by Respawn, so you don’t have to guess how long your grind will take. Each standard Apex Pack has a 0.2% chance of dropping heirloom shards, which works out to roughly 1 in 500 packs. The game also has a built-in pity system that guarantees you will get a set of heirloom shards if you open 500 packs without getting one randomly. That pity counter resets as soon as you get a shard drop, so if you get lucky and get shards at 120 packs, your next pity timer starts at 0 again, not 380.
For example, if you’ve opened 320 packs since your last shard drop, you only have 180 left to go before you’re guaranteed a set of shards. You can track your current pack count by going to the heirloom store tab, selecting any character’s heirloom, and clicking the “track packs” button. That number includes every pack you’ve ever earned or purchased, even if you opened them years ago, so it’s the most accurate way to plan your grind.
I’ve talked to dozens of players who got their first heirloom at 490+ packs, so don’t assume you’ll get lucky early. If you’re not willing to spend money on packs, plan for the full 500 pack grind to avoid disappointment when you don’t get a drop in your first 100 or 200 packs. The good news is every pack you open counts, even free ones, so you don’t have to spend a dime to get an heirloom if you’re patient enough.
Free vs Paid Paths to Unlock Your First Heirloom
The free path to an heirloom is slow, but totally accessible for casual players who log in regularly. You get one Apex Pack for every level you earn from 1 to 500, and one pack for every two levels after that. Each season’s free battle pass gives 15 Apex Packs, plus most limited-time events give 2-5 free packs for completing simple challenges like winning 3 matches or getting 10 kills with a specific weapon. If you play 3-4 matches a day and complete all free battle pass and event challenges, you can earn around 50 free packs per season, which means you’ll hit the 500 pack pity mark in around 10 seasons if you start from 0.
If you want to speed up the process, there are a few paid options that don’t require you to blow hundreds of dollars on random packs. The premium battle pass costs 950 Apex Coins (around $10) per season, and gives you 25 extra Apex Packs plus enough Apex Coins to buy the next season’s premium pass if you complete all 110 tiers. That’s the most cost-effective paid option for regular players, as it essentially pays for itself after the first purchase. You can also buy pack bundles during events, which usually give 10-20 packs for a discounted price plus extra bonus cosmetics.
If you only want one specific heirloom, waiting for its collection event rerun is the fastest way to get it. Collection events have 24 limited-time items, and if you unlock all 24, you get the featured heirloom for free immediately, no luck required. You can cut the cost of this path by using crafting metals to unlock common and rare event items first, which can reduce the total cost by 30-50%. If you only want one specific heirloom, waiting for its collection event rerun is the most reliable way to get it without wasting shards on a character you don’t play. Just keep in mind that collection events only rerun once or twice a year, so you may have to wait 6+ months for your desired heirloom to come back around.
Common Mistakes That Slow Down Your Heirloom Unlock
Most players take far longer to get their first heirloom than they need to because they make simple avoidable mistakes. The most common one is wasting crafting metals on random epic or legendary skins that go on sale in the regular store. Crafting metals are far more valuable when saved for collection event items, as they can cut hundreds of dollars off the cost of getting an event heirloom, or let you get extra packs by using metals for skins you would otherwise buy with coins.
Another big mistake is buying individual packs with Apex Coins instead of waiting for bundle sales. Individual packs cost 100 Apex Coins each, but event bundles usually sell packs for 70-80 coins each plus free bonus items, so you get 20-30% more packs for the same amount of money. Even one free pack a month cuts 3-4 weeks off your total grind time if you’re going for the 500 pack pity timer, so don’t skip low-effort event challenges that give free packs just because you don’t care about the other event rewards.
The worst mistake I see players make is using heirloom shards as soon as they get them on a popular character they barely play. I’ve had multiple friends use their first set of shards on Wraith or Octane heirlooms because they’re the most popular, only to have their main main (like Bangalore or Crypto) get an heirloom 2 months later. It’s always better to hold onto shards for 2-3 months to see upcoming heirloom announcements before you spend them. Respawn usually teases upcoming heirlooms a few months in advance, so you can plan ahead if you wait a little bit before spending your shards.
At the end of the day, getting an heirloom is all about patience, whether you’re grinding for free packs or saving up for a collection event. There’s no secret hack to speed up the process, but sticking to the legitimate methods we outlined will help you unlock your desired cosmetic as fast as possible. Now that you know how do you get a heirloom in Apex Legends, you can start tracking your pack count, saving your crafting metals, and planning for the character you want to get first. Just don’t get discouraged if you don’t get lucky early – every pack you open brings you one step closer to that fancy custom melee weapon you’ve been wanting.