Borderlands players are no strangers to cracking codes and uncovering the franchise's secrets, but the latest wave of community sleuthing has proven to be particularly lucrative. Thanks to a seemingly ordinary card handed out at the recent PAX West convention, Borderlands players were given what is arguably the best Shift code in existence, and all it took was a solid grasp of the binary language.
The card in question (via GamesRadar) featured a D20 die in the center, and the table icon was flanked by a subtle pattern. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford posted an image of the card on X/Twitter, hinting that it contained a secret clue in its design, and eventually, user @40_BaySt shared his findings online.
Sorry, I didn't have the energy to do the PAX thing today. I didn't want to risk hurting anyone by showing up. For those who were there, did you keep your dice cards? We hid a secret code on them. pic.twitter.com/3gE1nGZQ6Z
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) August 31, 2024
The card contained a binary code, and when fully deciphered, the message was revealed to be a Shift Code that could be used to unlock 50 weapons across multiple Borderlands games and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. Borderlands 3 players can also use the code to obtain 10 Diamond Keys.
I think my wife got it. It's a binary code. Triangles up are 1. Triangles down are 0. There are 29 sequences and each sequence is 8 digits long. Then you convert the binary to decimal and then to ASCII. Doing that, you get this…
SXFBT-39953-J33TT-3T333-KSHW6.— Bare leaves in the back (@40_BaySt) September 1, 2024
The code is SXFBT-39953-J33TT-3T333-KSHW6 in case you are currently playing Borderlands and want to use it.
If you don't know, Shift keys (not keyboard keys) can be used on a golden chest located in the Borderlands games, to unlock powerful weapons, shields, grenades, and character mods. These are scaled to your character's level, and overall, the keys can be used to add some of the best loot in the game to your arsenal.
For Borderlands 3 players, ultra-rare Diamond Keys can be used to access an entire loot room, but the catch here is that you can only take one piece of loot from each of the open walls, and there's also a time limit in-game. This is the “most valuable” Shift key ever given out, according to Pitchford.
Borderlands 4 was officially revealed at Gamescom last month. Gearbox hasn't shared any additional details about the game since then, though it's been suggested that the game will feature an antagonist “far more dangerous” than Handsome Jack and some concept art has shown one of the new planets that will appear in the game. Borderlands 4 is currently set to launch in 2025, and it will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.