If you’ve ever been caught in a tight 1v1 fight with no ammo left, you know how game-changing a good melee hit can be. A lot of new players ask how do you get melee weapons in Apex Legends, and the answer is more layered than you might think – it covers everything from basic world spawns to ultra-rare cosmetic and combat heirlooms you can only unlock through special methods. I’ve spent over 300 hours playing ranked across the last four seasons, and I’ve tested every melee drop method, so I’m breaking down exactly what works, what’s a waste of time, and how to make the most of any melee weapon you pick up.
How Do You Get Melee Weapons in Apex Legends: Standard Loot Spawns
If you’re looking for a melee weapon to use immediately in a match, standard loot spawns are the most accessible option. Every player starts with base fist melee that deals 30 damage per hit, no looting required, but dedicated world spawn melee weapons deal more damage and have unique animations. These temporary, season-specific melee items usually deal between 45 and 55 damage per hit, and spawn in high-traffic loot zones like Fragment East on World’s Edge or Capitol City on Olympus, often next to supply bins or in locked loot rooms.
During select seasonal events, you can also find higher-damage melee weapons in care packages, with some dealing up to 70 damage per hit for one-shot knock downs on low-health opponents. These care package melee weapons can only be used for the match you find them in, and they disappear once the match ends, no permanent unlock required. If you don’t see any dedicated melee weapons spawning in your matches, that just means the current active season doesn’t have a world spawn melee active, so you’ll have to stick to fists until the next event drops.
Unlocking Permanent Heirloom Melee Weapons
Heirlooms are the most sought-after permanent melee weapons in the game, with character-specific custom animations, voice lines, and finishers that replace your default fist animations for that legend. The only consistent way to unlock these is with Heirloom Shards, which you earn from opening standard Apex Packs. Respawn has an official 1 in 500 pack drop rate guarantee, meaning you will get at least 150 Heirloom Shards every 500 packs you open, no exceptions, even if you don’t get lucky with random drops before that.
150 Heirloom Shards lets you unlock any heirloom of your choice from the in-game store, so you don’t have to settle for a legend you don’t main. I got my first set of Heirloom Shards at 427 packs, and I picked Wraith’s Kunai because she’s my most played legend, and the faster animation feel makes melee fights more fun for me. It’s important to note that heirlooms don’t give any combat advantage at all, they’re purely cosmetic, so don’t feel pressured to spend real money on packs to get one if you don’t want to. Sometimes limited-time events also add heirlooms to their paid or free tracks, so you can unlock them by completing challenges instead of buying packs if you wait for the right event.
Limited-Time Event Melee Weapon Unlocks
Respawn regularly adds exclusive melee weapons to seasonal events, some of which are permanent account-wide unlocks that work for every legend, and others that are only usable during the event. For example, the 2024 Final Fantasy 7 crossover event had the Buster Sword as a permanent melee unlock, which you could earn for free by completing event challenges over three weeks. Other events, like the annual Halloween Shadowfall event, add temporary melee weapons that only spawn in the event’s exclusive LTM, no unlock required to use them during matches.
If you want to get your hands on event-exclusive melee weapons, follow these simple steps:
- Complete all daily and weekly event challenges to earn event points, which you can exchange for limited melee skins or permanent unlocks on the event free track
- Purchase event-specific packs if you want to unlock rare melee items faster, though most free tracks include at least one temporary melee weapon for all players at no extra cost
- Participate in event-exclusive LTMs, as many of these have melee weapons that spawn directly in the match for all players to use, no unlock required
Most players miss free melee unlocks because they don’t read the full event track details when a new event drops. Last summer’s Sundown event had a free beach bat melee unlock that only required playing 10 matches, and most of my ranked squad didn’t even notice it was there until the last two days of the event. Always scan the full event track first to see what free melee items are available, so you don’t miss out on limited-time drops.
Tips for Using Melee Weapons Effectively in Matches
It doesn’t matter if you’re using basic fists or a rare heirloom, using melee effectively comes down to timing and positioning, not the skin you have equipped. Slide melee is the most effective way to land hits – sliding into an opponent reduces their hit registration on you, and the melee animation comes out 20% faster than a standing melee, dealing the same amount of damage. You should only ever use melee when you’re within 2 meters of an opponent, any further and you’ll miss the hit and leave yourself open to incoming gunfire.
Never prioritize picking up a melee weapon over a gun, armor, or healing items when you first drop into a hot zone. Guns always win at range, and melee should only ever be a backup option for when you run out of ammo, catch an opponent reloading, or finish off a low-health player who’s running away. I once won a Diamond ranked 1v3 by using my Wraith Kunai to finish off two players who ran out of ammo after shooting at my knocked teammate, but I only made that play because I knew they had no bullets left. I would never run straight at a full squad with only a melee weapon equipped, no matter how cool the skin looks.
At the end of the day, there’s no one right answer when you’re asking how do you get melee weapons in Apex Legends, it all depends on whether you want a temporary in-match weapon for fun, or a permanent heirloom to show off to your squad. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on packs to enjoy melee combat – even the default fists can get you out of tough spots if you know how to use them, and event free tracks often give you access to cool melee options without any extra cost. Next time you’re in a tight fight with no ammo left, don’t panic – swap to your melee, slide into the fight, and you might be surprised how many fights you win.