After six long years of dropping into Kings Canyon, cursing at third parties, and maining a legend just because that one friend won't stop pinging, it finally happened. I opened a regular old Apex Pack – the kind you get from levelling up or grinding the battle pass – and everything turned red. I'm not gonna lie, when I saw that crimson glow, I nearly spilled my drink. We all chase that moment, don't we? But actually getting your hands on an Heirloom in 2026 is a journey that deserves some unpacking, so let me break down exactly what these mythical items are and how you can increase your chances of seeing one yourself.

What even is an Heirloom?

If you're new to the Outlands, an Heirloom is the rarest cosmetic tier in the game – it sits above Legendary, glowing with its own unique red aura. These aren't just a shiny weapon skin. When you unlock an Heirloom, you get a whole set: a melee weapon skin, a banner pose, and an intro quip, all themed around your legend. Back in the early days, only Wraith had one – her iconic kunai. Fast forward to 2026, and the Heirloom shop is practically a museum. We've got Bloodhound's axe, Lifeline's drumsticks, Pathfinder's boxing gloves, Octane's butterfly knife, Revenant's scythe, and many more. Some legends even have a second, even flashier variant called a "Prestige Heirloom" or "Mythic Heirloom" set. The core remains the same, though: they are the ultimate flex, a way to tell the lobby that you're either incredibly blessed by the RNG gods or you've invested a scary amount of time (and possibly money) into the game.

The Odds: Fear the 1%

Here's where the real talk starts. From every single Apex Pack, you're guaranteed at least one Rare or better item. The chance of pulling an Epic piece is roughly 25%, and Legendary gear sits below 7%. An Heirloom? That number hovers under one percent. Yeah, less than 1%. You could open hundreds of packs and see nothing but crafting metals and Mozambique skins. I've been there – staring at a screen full of blue and purple beams, questioning every life choice that led me to this lobby. But, and this is a big but, the devs didn't leave us completely at the mercy of cold probability. There's a bad luck protection system in place.

If you manage to crack open 500 Apex Packs without seeing a single red glow, the game takes pity on you. On your 500th pack – guaranteed, 100%, no exceptions – you will be showered in Heirloom Shards. That's the modern twist that changed everything. Before the shard system arrived in a later season, you used to get a specific legend's Heirloom at random. Now, when your account finally hits that pity threshold (or you just get obscenely lucky early), you receive 150 Heirloom Shards, which you can spend in the mythic store on whichever legendary melee weapon you actually want. This system single-handedly saved my sanity, because I spent two years terrified I'd end up with an Heirloom for a legend I never play. Now, the power is yours. It's a grind, no doubt about it, but the pity timer is the only reason I eventually got my glowing prize.

How to Actually Get One in 2026

The method is brutally simple on paper: open Apex Packs. You'll earn a handful per season through the free battle pass track, level-up rewards, and the occasional event tracker. Realistically, a dedicated free-to-play player can snag around 40 to 60 packs per season. Do the math, and reaching that legendary 500-pack sponsorship takes years. That's why most serious Heirloom hunters either buy packs directly from the store or, more efficiently, complete Collection Events.

Collection Events are the premium path most of us end up walking. During these limited-time events, a set of 24 exclusive cosmetics is released. If you craft or purchase all 24 items, you're instantly awarded the event's featured Heirloom (or Heirloom Shards, depending on the event structure). Purchasing all event packs outright can cost upwards of $160, but you can drastically reduce that cost by using crafting metals on epic items and snagging discounted event pack bundles. It's still not cheap, but compared to buying 500 regular Apex Packs – which at 100 Apex Coins a pop translates to roughly $455 if you're buying coins in bulk – the Collection Event route can feel almost reasonable. Almost.

There's no shortcut, no hidden trick. I've seen all the scammy "FREE HEIRLOOM" videos and messages in chat. They're nonsense. The only legit ways are: open packs until the 500-pack pity timer hits, or finish a Collection Event. I saved my crafting metals for a full year, waited for an event featuring Heirloom Shards instead of a specific weapon, and then spent a small pile of coins I'd accumulated from the battle pass to bridge the gap. Even then, I hesitated at the final purchase screen for a solid five minutes. ...Okay, maybe ten. But seeing that red beam shoot out of the pack after all those years? Worth it.

The Future of Heirlooms

As of 2026, the Heirloom family keeps growing. We're no longer just getting melee weapons – the Mythic tier has expanded to include reactive skins, sky-dive trails, and customizable death boxes. Respawn keeps dangling these shiny carrots, and I keep chasing them. The one thing that never changes is that none of this makes you play better. It's all about the drip. So if you're still chasing that red glow, take it from someone who's been there: pace yourself, save those crafting metals, and maybe treat Heirloom shards as the ultimate long-term goal rather than a must-have right now. Your wallet (and your blood pressure) will thank you.

Eventually, that Apex Pack will flare red. And when it does, pick the Heirloom that makes you happiest – even if it's for a legend you're terrible with. Because honestly, you've earned that moment.