Apex Legends is going into its 8th Season, with a new Legend, a new planet location, and another opportunity to earn Heirloom Shards. For players looking to outfit their favorite Legend with the rarest of cosmetics, it would be helpful to consider the different ways they can find the necessary currency.
The roster of playable characters in Apex Legends is as plentiful as it is varied, and each Legend has their own unlockable, ultra-rare outfit and equipment that can only be purchased with Heirloom Shards. However, Shards can only be found in less than 1% of Apex Packs (though players who haven't collected all available Heirlooms are guaranteed to find one in every 500 Packs) , which makes it a serious task to earn enough Packs to find the required 150 Shards.
The most direct, if not most ideal, means for earning enough Packs would be to purchase them at 100 Apex Coins (approximately $1 USD) apiece. Of course, this means that players who choose this route could be out roughly $500 U.S. dollars before they find their prize.
The next, quickest route still requires real money, but provides significantly more value than purchasing Apex Packs directly, especially for players who plan to invest their time in the game. A total of 199 Packs can be earned by leveling up the Battle Pass. However, the Apex Legends Battle Pass rewards more Coins than it costs, so players can afford the next season's Battle Pass by leveling up in the game.
The final two ways to earn enough Heirloom Shards don't require the use of real-world currency, but will, of course, require more of a grind. Each new season, since Season 5, introduces a new Apex Legends Season Quest, and players who progress through the Quest will earn Apex Packs. These Packs are free, but also finite; it's unlikely most players will earn Heirloom Shards in such a small sample.
Lastly, patient players can earn Apex Packs by earning experience points in the game. Players will have to grind, but the reward will be worth the work. The simplest way to earn experience is through Survival Time, which grants 3 XP per second. Gamers who play with their friends can earn up to a 10% bonus to total Survival Time XP, and playing with friends is easier now that cross-play is supported across multiple platforms. In fact, the release date for Apex Legends on Switch has been leaked, so the player-base will likely be expanding even more. More advanced players who can focus on other challenges can increase their kills, go after the champion squad, and keep their teammates in the game to get more XP.
However a player goes about searching for them, they will need 150 Shards in order to unlock the Heirloom Set for the Legend of their choice, found in the Heirloom Store. There's always a lot to expect from ApexLegends, such as Collection Events that introduce new Heirloom Sets, so players have an abundance of choice on how they spend their Shards.
Apex Legends is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with Nintendo Switch and Mobile versions also in development.