When it comes to cosmetics, both Apex Legends and Overwatch 2 bring a lot to the table. Apex Legends, being a free-to-play game, gets most of its revenue from seasonal battle passes, purchasable cosmetics, and Apex Packs. Overwatch, on the other hand, used to be a paid game that had purchasable loot boxes, but Overwatch 2 ditches the system in favor of a battle pass and in-game store (though the latter isn't available yet).
Respawn Entertainment and Activision Blizzard have implemented certain systems in their respective games that allow players to get the rarest cosmetics. Apex Legends has its prestige skins and heirloom weapons, meanwhile Overwatch 2 brings back golden weapons from the original game. When it comes to comparing Apex Legends' heirloom sets to Overwatch 2's golden weapons, there are some interesting observations to be had.
What Are Apex Legends' Heirloom Sets?
Before prestige skins, heirloom sets were the rarest cosmetics available in Apex Legends. Players used to have a 1 in 500 chance of getting a heirloom set when opening an Apex Pack, which would reward them a random set from the existing loot pool. As more heirloom sets were added, heirloom shards replaced the random loot system, thereby letting players choose which set they wanted. Heirloom shards still retain the 1 in 500 chance, but players are also guaranteed heirloom shards once they open 500 Apex Packs.
Apart from the small chance of getting heirloom shards from Apex Packs, themed collection events in Apex Legends allow players to spend real money on limited-time cosmetics. Owning all the cosmetics in a collection event unlocks the heirloom set tied to that event. Once the event is over, that heirloom set is added to the mythic section of the cosmetics tab.
Heirloom sets consist of a unique kill quip, a banner pose, and the heirloom weapon itself. All the weapons have special first-person animations when running, sliding, inspecting, and attacking (some of which include voice lines). While not all heirloom weapons have unique third-person animations (Bloodhound's Raven's Bite and Gibraltar's War Club share the same animations, for example), all of them are extensions of the characters they belong to. For example, Revenant's Dead Man's Curve scythe reflects his dark nature and bloodlust. The weapon's rustic nature and damaged appearance also show his no-nonsense approach to violence.
What Are Overwatch's Golden Weapons?
Overwatch 2's golden weapons can only be obtained by a single method: playing ranked games. By winning or causing a draw in competitive, players are rewarded Competitive Points (15 for a win and five for a draw). In addition, players are given a bonus number of Competitive Points depending on their rank at the end of each Overwatch competitive season. Players need 3,000 Competitive Points to purchase a golden weapon.
Aesthetically speaking, golden weapons aren't that different from the regular weapons Overwatch heroes use; the only stand-out aspect is they have a gold paint job and sparkle. While they look tacky for the most part, some golden weapons fit certain characters, such as Doomfist's golden weapon that coats his robotic arm in an expensive sheen. Aside from small visual changes, golden weapons exist to let players show off how much time they spend grinding the competitive scene.
Where Apex Legends Stands Above Overwatch 2
When it comes to the value that these cosmetics provide, Apex Legends' heirloom weapons beat out Overwatch 2's golden weapons by a long shot. Heirloom weapons have unique animations, voice lines, and effects that reflect the characters they belong to. They also give players something to fiddle with when their characters' hands are free. Some heirloom weapons can even illuminate dark places with a glowing tinge, and while it does take a good amount of luck or money to obtain an heirloom set, owning one adds a good amount of flair to a player's inventory.
By contrast, Overwatch 2's golden weapons don't provide much other than an alternate paint job. All golden weapons have the same gold skin and there are no distinguishing characteristics that set each one apart from the rest. Overwatch players have been clamoring for more options to spend Competitive Points on, but so far none have been added to the game.
As a general rule of thumb, neither Apex Legends' heirloom weapons nor Overwatch 2's golden weapons give players any gameplay advantages. Heirloom weapon attacks still do the same amount of melee damage as a punch or kick, and golden weapons still provide the same damage numbers for their respective abilities. But when it comes to the amount of visual flair these cosmetics provide, Apex Legends' heirloom weapons are the clear winner.
Apex Legends is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.