There are a huge amount of unique cosmetics in Apex Legends, and developer Respawn Entertainment continues to add more of them with every new season and event. Despite some of these cosmetics becoming extremely rare over time, none of them are quite as sought-after as Heirlooms. Naturally, any Apex player who wants an Heirloom will need to know how to get Heirloom Shards.
Heirlooms are cosmetic bundles that include a melee weapon skin, a matching banner pose, and an intro voice line. They usually have a special significance to the backstory of each legend and use exclusive animations that make each one feel unique. In the same category as Heirlooms are Prestige skins. While they share their mythic rarity with Heirlooms, Prestige skins are full skins for a legend.
These unique skins can be leveled up once purchased by registering kills while wearing the skin, with different looks for the skin unlocking the more a player uses it. Eventually, the top level will be unlocked, which comes with a unique finisher animation that is only available to people with the fully-leveled Prestige skin.
All players can unlock both Heirloom sets and Prestige skins the same way: with Heirloom Shards, a special in-game currency. Getting these Heirloom Shards can be harder than it sounds, however. Regardless of whether you’re willing to drop a significant amount of cash for them, you’ll definitely need patience.
Here’s how to get Heirloom Shards in Apex.
How to get Heirloom Shards in Apex Legends
Players can obtain Heirloom Shards from Apex Packs. They’re not a common drop, however, and each pack will approximately have an extremely low chance (presumed to be 0.2 percent) of dropping them.
The average cost for an Heirloom in Apex:
If you’re really unlucky, don’t despair: there’s a “bad luck protection” system in place that allows players to receive Heirloom Shards on their 500th pack if they don’t receive any in their first 499 pack openings. Once a player receives these Heirloom Shards, the 500 pack counter resets. This puts the estimated value of each Heirloom item at around $460 if players buy all the packs necessary for the guaranteed drop.
Related: How to find the number of Apex Legends packs you’ve opened
Other ways to get Heirloom Shards in Apex Legends
In addition to Apex Packs, some collection events will offer specific Heirlooms or Prestige skins for certain legends as a bonus for unlocking the entire collection. This usually amounts to roughly $160 before any crafting is involved, offering fans an RNG-free way of getting Heirlooms. Fans should be aware, however, that event-specific packs do not count toward the 500 pack number for unlocking Heirloom Shards.
Additionally, some events also offer discounts in bulk Apex Packs from the in-game store, offering players another avenue to reach the 500-pack limit and obtain an Heirloom with a smaller impact on their wallets. The total amount is still significant, though, so this should be regarded as a last-ditch effort.
Having 150 Heirloom Shards allows players to buy one Heirloom or Prestige skin of their choice from the in-game Mythic Store, a welcome change from the previous system. During the shooter’s early days, players would get an Heirloom at random, meaning they would have to luck into a set for a legend they liked. The amount of mythic items has expanded significantly since the category’s introduction, giving everyone plenty of cosmetics to choose from.
Depending on which characters you play frequently and whether or not they have Heirlooms or Prestige skins available, these cosmetics may mean more or less to you. If you decide to go after Heirloom Shards to get one, know that it will be either a long, painstaking process or an expensive one. That’s what gives these cosmetics their coveted status, after all.
Related: Apex Legends character tier list from Attack of the Fanboy
