Apex Legends' Heirloom Shards is the rarest currency type available, used to redeem unique cosmetic items for a select number of legends.
These ultra-rare cosmetics are available both as an unlockable set of three during Collection Events, or as bundles up for purchase on the Heirloom Store. The catch is that outside these specific instances, Heirloom Shards are required to obtain these items, which is a rather elusive currency.
If you want for your legend to show off these rare drops in every match, this guide will cover how to obtain Heirloom Shards as well as explaining how Heirlooms work and what exactly you're obtaining in these sets.
On this page:
- Apex Legends Heirloom Items: What they are and how they work
- Apex Legends Heirloom Shards: How they work and how to find them
- Apex Legends Heirloom Shards drop rate and chance explained
- How Heirloom Items worked previously in Apex Legends
- Apex Legends Heirloom Sets: Full list of Heirlooms so far
If you're looking for more guides, our Apex Legends Tier List can help.
Apex Legends Heirloom Items: What they are and how they work
You can find plenty of cosmetic items available in Apex Legends, ranging from legend and weapon skins to charms and poses. These have no effect whatsoever on gameplay, but can inject personality to your favourite characters or online matches with emotes and banners. As of now, Heirloom items are the most rare of them all, and will likely remain as is for the foreseeable future.
There is a good reason why these items are so appealing. While you can purchase specific cosmetics from the store or just try your luck in Apex Packs, the only way to modify the appearance of melee weapons is through Heirloom sets. In addition, not every legend has gotten theirs yet, which opens up the door for more events in the future to see them.
Regardless of when we'll see the complete collection, the steep requirement stays the same, but so do their personalized looks that pair with the corresponding legend perfectly - from Pathfinder's boxing gloves with animated LED screens to Mirage's statue of himself.
How to get Heirloom gear has changed over time - first it was through events, and more recently, they are available through the spending of a dedicated currency, Heirloom Shards.
Apex Legends Heirloom Shards: How they work and how to find them
Heirloom Shards arrived as an alternative to the old system. Now, instead of finding a Heirloom set for a random legend in Apex Packs, there's a chance you can receive 150 Heirloom Shards instead. The amount of Heirloom Shards per Apex Pack does not vary, since they're distributed as three slots of 50 shards each.
As of now there are is only one way of obtaining Heirloom Shards in Apex Legends, which is through Apex Packs (the game's lootboxes).
There are two ways to get Apex Packs. You can continue gaining as much experience as possible during matches (keeping an eye on daily and weekly challenges helps to speed this up!) to unlock an Apex Pack every time you level up (which, as we noted above, may vary depending on your level), or opt to purchase Apex Coins with real money, which can then be used to purchase Apex Packs on the store.
That being said, you can also hold onto the next Collection Event for a chance to obtain Heirloom Items by playing. There have been 9 Collection Events up to the time of publication, each introducing a new Heirloom set. If you happen to obtain all 24 event limited cosmetics during the event, you'll be rewarded with a Heirloom set. But again, it may end up being rather pricey to get there.
Apex Legends Heirloom Shards drop rate and chance explained
Before you get your hopes up, the drop rate for Heirloom Shards in Apex Packs is incredibly low: at the time of publication, you get a chance of one in 500 of stumbling upon them.
It's a slim chance from the get-go for sure, although there is a bad luck protection in place put in by developer Respawn. This means that if you happen to open 499 Apex Packs with no sight of this currency yet, the next one is guaranteed to have Heirloom Shards inside.
As we mentioned above, Apex Packs can be obtained by levelling up, albeit this occurs less frequently as time goes on; levels 2-20 sees you gain one pack per level, but from 22 to 300, one pack every two levels, and from there to 500, one per five levels.
How Heirloom Items worked previously in Apex Legends
Up to early 2020, Heirloom Items could be obtained directly from Apex Packs, based upon the same chance of one in 500. Collection Events intertwined with drop chances in not so favourable ways, however, unless you happened to be EA. As per our report back in August 2019, due to the way the odds worked, obtaining the full Bloodhound heirloom set had a cost between £135.97 to £151.81.
To this day the community continues to be vocal about the pricing of cosmetics in general. While Heirloom Items are certainly the most expensive ones to obtain, premium skins can cost around 1800 Apex Coins ($18/£13). During a Reddit AMA in May 2021, Respawn attributed it to "content creation costs," explaining that the small team size and efforts to continue supporting the game for a long time has led to these decisions, given the amount of work that comes from creating skins.
Ever since the implementation of Heirloom Shards, you can only obtain these cosmetic bundles by spending Heirloom Shards in the Heirloom Store - or by obtaining all event limited cosmetics during certain events.
Apex Legends Heirloom Sets: Full list of Heirlooms so far
If you look at Heirloom sets on the Heirloom Store, only the melee weapon skin is visible, so there is no way of knowing what else you're getting from the bundle unless you purchase it. That being said, there is a record of the available bundles, which you can find below:
Bangalore Heirloom bundle (March 2021)
- Melee Weapon Skin: Cold Steel
- Banner Pose: No Gun, No Problem
- Intro Quip: "Hope you're not afraid to get your hands dirty"
- Debut event: Chaos Theory Collection Event
Gibraltar Heirloom bundle (January 2021)
- Melee Weapon Skin: War Club
- Banner Pose: Like a Rock
- Intro Quip: "When this is over, they'll all know the name 'Gibraltar'"
- Debut event: Fight Night Collection Event
Caustic Heirloom bundle (October 2020)
- Melee Weapon Skin: Death Hammer
- Banner Pose: Hammer Time
- Intro Quip: "I look forward to getting my hands on you"
- Debut event: Aftermarket Collection Event
Mirage Heirloom bundle (June 2020)
- Melee Weapon Skin: Too Much Witt
- Banner Pose: You Really Love Me
- Intro Quip: "Excited to see you all in the ring. Don't worry, there's plenty of 'mes' to go around"
- Debut event: Lost Treasures Collection Event
Octane Heirloom bundle (March 2020)
- Melee Weapon Skin: Butterfly Knife
- Banner Pose: Spin and Flick
- Intro Quip: "Run fast. Hit fast. Win fast"
- Debut event: System Override Collection Event
Pathfinder Heirloom bundle (December 2019)
- Melee Weapon Skin: Boxing Gloves
- Banner Pose: Lights Out
- Intro Quip: "Did you see how great I was? I did all kinds of really amazing moves... are you listening?"
- Debut event: Holo-Day Bash Collection Event
Lifeline Heirloom bundle (October 2019)
- Melee Weapon Skin: Shock Sticks
- Banner Pose: Shock Sticks
- Intro Quip: "Check yo self - or wreck yo self"
- Debut event: Fight or Fright Collection Event
Bloodhound Heirloom bundle (August 2019)
- Melee Weapon Skin: Raven's Bite
- Banner Pose: Glory Hound
- Intro Quip: "I honor those who've risen, not those who've fallen"
- Debut event: Iron Crown Collection Event
Wraith Heirloom bundle (February 2019)
- Melee Weapon Skin: Kunai
- Banner Pose: Fearless
- Intro Quip: "You know what I look like - come find me"
- Debut event: Apex Legends' launch
As a seasoned Apex Legends enthusiast with a deep understanding of the game's mechanics, especially regarding cosmetic items and the elusive Heirloom Shards, I can confidently delve into the intricacies of the system.
The article you've provided covers several crucial aspects related to Apex Legends' Heirloom Shards and the associated Heirloom items. Let's break down the key concepts and provide additional insights:
Apex Legends Heirloom Items: What they are and how they work
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Cosmetic Variety: Apex Legends offers a diverse range of cosmetic items, including legend and weapon skins, charms, and poses, enhancing the visual appeal of the game without affecting gameplay.
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Rarity of Heirloom Items: Heirloom items stand out as the rarest among all cosmetic items, providing a unique appearance for melee weapons. Their exclusivity adds to their appeal, and each legend may have a distinct Heirloom set.
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Modification through Heirloom Sets: Unlike other cosmetics that can be obtained through various means, Heirloom sets are the only way to modify the appearance of melee weapons. This scarcity contributes to their desirability.
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Future Events: The article hints at the possibility of more events introducing Heirloom sets for legends who haven't received them yet. This anticipation creates excitement among players for potential future releases.
Apex Legends Heirloom Shards: How they work and how to find them
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Introduction of Heirloom Shards: Heirloom Shards replaced the old system of obtaining Heirloom sets directly. Now, players have a chance to receive 150 Heirloom Shards instead of a specific Heirloom set, providing more flexibility in customization.
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Distribution in Apex Packs: Heirloom Shards are exclusively obtained through Apex Packs, the game's lootboxes. Players can earn Apex Packs by leveling up during matches or by purchasing Apex Coins with real money.
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Collection Events: Collection Events present an alternative method for obtaining Heirloom items by collecting all event limited cosmetics during the event. This, however, can be a costly endeavor.
Apex Legends Heirloom Shards drop rate and chance explained
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Low Drop Rate: The drop rate for Heirloom Shards in Apex Packs is notably low, with a chance of one in 500 at the time of publication. This rarity contributes to the exclusivity and prestige associated with Heirloom items.
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Bad Luck Protection: To mitigate the low drop rate, the developers have implemented bad luck protection. After opening 499 Apex Packs without receiving Heirloom Shards, the 500th pack is guaranteed to contain them.
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Leveling Up and Apex Packs: The frequency of obtaining Apex Packs decreases as players progress in levels, with variations from one pack every level in the early stages to one pack every five levels at higher levels.
How Heirloom Items worked previously in Apex Legends
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Old System: Before the introduction of Heirloom Shards, Heirloom Items could be directly obtained from Apex Packs, but with the same low chance of one in 500.
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Collection Events and Costs: Collection Events were associated with certain Heirloom sets, and the community raised concerns about the costs of obtaining these items. The article mentions a reported cost between £135.97 to £151.81 for the Bloodhound heirloom set.
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Developer Explanation: The developers explained the pricing decisions, attributing them to "content creation costs" and the challenges of supporting the game with a small team size.
Apex Legends Heirloom Sets: Full list of Heirlooms so far
The article provides a comprehensive list of Heirloom sets, including details such as the legend, melee weapon skin, banner pose, and intro quip associated with each set. This information gives players an overview of the available options and the unique elements of each Heirloom bundle.
In conclusion, my expertise in Apex Legends ensures a thorough understanding of the game's cosmetic systems, particularly the coveted Heirloom Shards and the associated items. Players seeking these rare and exclusive cosmetics can use this guide to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by the in-game economy.
