Apex Legends is one of the most popular battle royale games out there today globally. One of the most popular parts about this particular game that everyone discusses frequently is “Heirlooms.” “Heirlooms” are a type of rare cosmetic that players of this particular game really enjoy because of how “high-class” it looks and feels. Many players of this popular gaming platform do not really know how it works, how rare these are, or how to get access to them.

What Are Apex Heirlooms?

A Heirloom is a special cosmetic weapon or item in Apex Legends. These are not powerful items that make you stronger — they are only for looks. Each Heirloom usually comes with:

  • A unique melee weapon skin
  • A special banner pose
  • A voice intro line

Because they are cosmetic, they do not affect gameplay or give you an advantage in matches. However, they are highly prized because they are so rare and show off to other players that you spent time or luck to get one.

What Are Heirloom Shards?

Instead of throwing down the actual Heirloom weapon, Apex Legends throws down something that is referred to as Heirloom Shards. Heirloom shards are a unique currency that is used to craft any Heirloom of your choice from the Mythic Store.

Here’s how it works:

You need 150 Heirloom Shards to unlock one full Heirloom set.
Every time you get shards from a pack, you get exactly 150.

That means, once you earn a set of shards from one pack, you can go to the Mythic Store and pick any Heirloom available at that moment.

Why Are Heirlooms So Rare?

Heirloom Shards are very rare. This is true by design. Respawn Entertainment (the developers of Apex Legends) wants these items to be special and hard to get. That’s why the odds are low.

Drop Rate

According to the official drop rate data published by Respawn and EA for Apex Packs:

 The exact drop rate for Heirloom Shards is 0.045% (that’s less than one-half of one percent).
This is the rate you see before any “guarantee” kicks in.

To put 0.045% into perspective:

  • You are roughly 1 in 2,222 to get Heirloom Shards from a single Apex Pack by chance.

This means it’s very unlikely you will get them if you open only a few packs.

How Many Packs Are Realistic? 

While odd stats can be confusing, here’s a helpful table showing possible outcomes:

Pack Range Likelihood / Expectation
1–100 packs Very low chance (tiny probability each pack)
100–250 packs Still rare; some players get lucky early
250–499 packs Increasing frustration, still tiny chance
500 packs Guaranteed shards if you haven’t got them yet

This shows why heirlooms are often described as lottery-like in Apex Legends — you could get unlucky for a long time before the guarantee triggers.

The 500 Pack Guarantee (Pity Timer)

Because the chance is so low, Apex Legends has a built-in system to make sure players eventually do get an heirloom if they keep opening packs.

This is often called a pity timer:

If you open 500 standard Apex Packs without getting Heirloom Shards, the 500th pack is guaranteed to give you 150 shards.

Here’s what that guarantee means:

  • If you’re unlucky early on, you could go hundreds of packs without seeing shards.

  • But the system ensures that, at worst, the 500th pack you open will give them.

  • Once you get shards, the counter resets. If you want another heirloom, you might have to open another up-to-500 packs again.

This guarantee is only for standard Apex Packs. Special event packs may not count toward it.

How Apex Packs Work

Method Description Notes / Tips
Leveling Up Your Account Earn Apex Packs as you gain experience and level up in the game. Packs are free and automatic with XP. Patience is required to collect many packs.
Season Battle Pass Both free and paid tracks of the Battle Pass give Apex Packs as rewards. Free track gives fewer packs; paid track gives more and faster access to packs.
Buying with Apex Coins Purchase Apex Packs directly using real money through Apex Coins. Fastest way to open multiple packs and reach the 500-pack guarantee sooner.
Special Events Complete challenges and tasks during seasonal events to earn packs or shards. Event packs may not count toward the 500-pack “pity timer,” but give extra chances for shards.

How Many Heirlooms Exist?

The exact number of unique heirloom sets changes slightly with each season as Respawn releases new Legends and cosmetics. As of early 2026, the game includes many different heirloom sets, often linked to specific Legends. Popular heirlooms include items for Wraith, Bloodhound, Lifeline, and many others added over time.

Finding a definitive count is hard because Respawn releases them seasonally, but community tracking sites show that well over a dozen heirlooms are available as of 2026. This number will continue to grow with each new season.

Heirloom Drop Stats (2026)

Stat Value (2026)
Drop Rate per Apex Pack 0.045% (very rare)
Packs for Guaranteed Shards 500
Shards per Drop 150
Packs Needed in Best Case 1 (very lucky)
Packs Needed in Worst Case 500
Approx Odds in One Pack ~1 in 2,222

Conclusion

Apex Heirlooms are rare items that many players want because of their prestige and style. They don’t affect gameplay strength, but they add big cosmetic flair.

They are very hard to get by chance — only about 0.045% drop rate. However, Respawn makes sure that those who open a sufficient number of packs (up to 500) will get them eventually. Packs can also be acquired through playing, through pass rewards, or through purchasing packs directly.