When it comes to Borderlands 4, everyone has their own ideas about what the game should include. Players have pushed for the return of mechanics like Borderlands 3’s Diamond Armory, argued for a wide variety of traditional raid bosses, and made requests about where the story should go next. However, one feature that Borderlands has made use of for over a decade could be expanded upon if Gearbox was interested in doing so: SHiFT codes.
SHiFT codes in Borderlands have always been relatively straightforward. Players can obtain a random set of letters and numbers posted by Gearbox members like Randy Pitchford, which are shared randomly at a fairly consistent pace. From there, they receive either cosmetic rewards or Keys that could be redeemed for loot. While this approach has worked quite well thus far, Gearbox can and should shake things up a bit with the next Borderlands game’s SHiFT codes.
Borderlands 4 Can Get More Creative With SHiFT Codes
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with SHiFT codes in their current form. Gearbox has used them as a good way to reward players for finishing community challenges, and the Golden Chest has been an excellent feature in every Borderlands game it had appeared in. However, Gearbox could have a bit more fun with how it distributed the codes, sharing them with gamers in ways beyond social media posts.
The most obvious way to go about making SHiFT codes more exciting is to treat them like puzzles. For example, perhaps each Cult of the Vault symbol players find in a Borderlands 4 map will reward them with a few digits and letters from a SHiFT code. Once they have found all the symbols, they will have all the pieces, and they can then put the code together to find the right order. Once they have it right, they could get a special cosmetic or a handful of Golden keys. Though Gearbox would need to randomly generate codes so that people do not just throw the answers online, this could be a cool experiment.
Gearbox could take things a step further by delivering a SHiFT-focused ARG, taking notes from Bungie’s new Marathon marketing campaign to keep players hunting for years. Perhaps SHiFT codes could be hidden throughout Borderlands 4’s first trailer, appearing if players rewind and pause at certain points. This could make the marketing into a proper event, with players coming together to find all the hidden codes for extra Golden Keys on day one or some exclusive cosmetics. Some in-game puzzles could be added for players to solve as well, with even the Collector's Edition for the game giving fans something to put together.
Gearbox could also lean into a bigger variety of SHiFT codes. Currently, players will find themselves getting exclusive heads from special programs or keys for the Golden Chest and Diamond Armory. While these are great rewards that should return, Gearbox can dabble with a few other pieces of content. Players could acquire money drops to help buy more SDU upgrades, XP and loot quality boosts, or specific versions of Legendary weapons like what Borderlands 2 did for its anniversary.
Ultimately, Borderlands’ SHiFT system is excellent and should continue to be a fixture of the franchise, as it provides Gearbox with another way to keep players engaged and give back to the series’ passionate community. Still, it can be improved, both through new rewards to collect and fresh methods of acquiring codes. If handled correctly, SHiFT codes could bring the Borderlands community even closer together, with players working together to solve puzzles for extra in-game loot.
Borderlands 3 is currently available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.