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Brilliant Borderlands fan uncovers "the most valuable SHiFT code" for all players after solving a bonkers puzzle — here's how they did it
By Brendan Lowry,
6 days ago
What you need to know
Borderlands developer Gearbox Software occasionally makes new SHiFT Codes — codes players can use to get some free quality loot in Borderlands 2, The Pre-Sequel, and 3 — for fans to take advantage.
During PAX West, Gearbox handed out special cards that contained a hidden code for "the most valuable SHiFT code" it's ever made.
Less than two days later, one brilliant fan cracked the cipher, revealing the code that everyone can now use. It's found in the text below.
This particular SHiFT Code gives 50 Golden Keys and 10 Diamond Keys in Borderlands 3, giving players the opportunity to get a ton of Epic and Legendary gear. These keys can also be duplicated infinitely with a glitch (I explain how it works towards the end of the article).
The popular Seattle gaming convention PAX West ended yesterday, with its final panels capping off four full days of video game celebration. Thanks to the efforts of one brilliant Borderlands fan who solved a hidden puzzle introduced at Gearbox Software's Main Theater Show, though, players of the popular looter shooter can let the good times roll with a flood of sweet in-game loot.
The existence of that puzzle was revealed when Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford commented on social media that the D20 dice cards handed out at the show had a secret code hidden in them. Though their design appeared inconspicuous — the cards just have an image of a random dice result in the middle, rows and columns of triangles, and some numbers — Pitchford's statement drove many folks to spring into action and uncover the secret waiting for them.
At first, fans speculated that the presence of the specific numbers "08" and "29" on the card was a confirmation that the release date of Borderlands 4 is August 29, 2025, but it eventually became clear this wasn't the case. Instead, those digits actually denote the amount and length of sequences in a binary code — a code pieced together using the card's upward and downward-pointing triangles.
"I think my wife figured it out. It's a binary code. Up triangles are 1. Down triangles are 0. There are 29 sequences and each sequence is 8 digits," wrote X (Twitter) user @40_BaySt, whose wife has managed to successfully crack the cipher. "Then you convert the binary to decimal and then to ASCII. Upon doing that you get this... SXFBT-39953-J33TT-3T333-KSHW6."
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(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Windows Central)
That 25-character string is a SHiFT Code — one of the sequences that Gearbox often gives to Borderlands players so they can enter them in-game or on the developer's website to get special rewards. Pitchford says this particular code "is the most valuable SHiFT code we've ever made," and for good reason: it bestows 50 Golden Keys in Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and Borderlands 3 , along with 10 Diamond Keys in the latter game.
Golden Keys can be used to get your hands on strong Epic (purple) gear from the Golden Chest located in each game's main hub area, while Borderlands 3's Diamond Keys give you Legendary (gold) kit from the Diamond Armory. Having 50 of the former makes boosting your power as you level up a character incredibly easy, and 10 of the latter gives you several chances to get some endgame loot perfect for your builds (I recommend waiting to use these until you're at Level 72 and Mayhem 10 difficulty).
1. In Borderlands 3, enter and redeem the SHiFT code. 2. Open and load your in-game mailbox and verify that the keys are there, but don't claim them yet . 3. Disconnect your PC or console from the internet completely. 4. Claim your keys, then select the Save & Quit menu option. 5. Open the game again, and claim your keys again. 6. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 as many times as you want to. Reconnect to the internet once you're done.
I didn't know this glitch was a thing until today, but now that I do, I'm definitely going to abuse it. You should, too, provided you don't mind the tedium of key duping and chest-farming. Thanks, @40_BaySt's wife!
Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and Borderlands 3 are all some of the best PC games and best Xbox games to play, though Borderlands 2 is generally considered to be the best of the lot. The Pre-Sequel is one of the more unique entries in the series with its emphasis on zero-gravity mechanics, though, and Borderlands 3 has fantastic gunplay. Right now, CDKeys has some stellar deals on all three I've listed below (read our CDKeys FAQ for more on the retailer).
This heavily discounted bundle gives you access to Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and all of the DLC in both games. By far, it's the best way to jump into these two games you can use the newly revealed SHiFT Code in.
The latest mainline entry in the Borderlands franchise is massively discounted on PC at the moment. It's also the only one you can get Diamond Keys in, which will help your endgame progress out a ton.
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