When Gearbox released Borderlands 2 in 2012, it had a new idea: "SHiFT codes" that players could find on the Borderlands forums and social media and bring them into the game.
To unlock rare weapons and cosmetics. Shift codes are of two main types:
Golden Keys open a special box in Sanctuary City. This box is guaranteed to contain an item of purple rarity. In a game with billions of randomly generated guns, it was a tempting way to skip the RNG and get some great weapons.
Special Skins are unique skins and heads for each Borderlands 2 character that can only be unlocked with Shift codes.
Borderlands 2 is still heavily marketed on Steam today, and even now that the sequel is out, there are Golden Key Shift codes appearing from time to time. Check out our new Borderlands 3 Shift Codes Guide for the chance to unlock codes in a brand new shooter.
If you're playing Borderlands 2, these codes will help you get your hands on rare weapons and cool skins. Below we've rounded up tons of Borderlands 2 Shift codes that will unlock skins or large piles of keys.
How do I use Borderlands 2 SHiFT codes?
For years, you could use Shift codes on Shift.GearboxSoftware.com, but Gearbox recently removed this feature. This means that in order to use the codes, you need to go to Borderlands 2 and do a little redirect.
In-game: In Borderlands 2, go to Main Menu> Add-ons> Shift Code. Once you find yourself in this menu, you will see a list of previously used Shift codes. Click the Shift Code button at the bottom of this window and then paste the 25-digit Shift code. Ready!
New Borderlands 2 Shift Codes for 2021
All the freshest change codes for Borderlands 2 Golden Keys have already expired. When we find new temporary or permanent codes for 2020, we'll track them here.
Scroll down the list of permanent codes for cosmetics and gold keys from past years.
You can follow Gearbox and Borderlands' official social media accounts to find new codes regularly, but the most efficient place to find Shift codes is this site: Shift.Orcicorn.com. The site automatically tracks and publishes updates from Twitter and Facebook on one convenient page. If Gearbox has released a new batch of Shift codes, they will be listed here. The unofficial Shift Codes Twitter account is also easy to follow.
Keep in mind that Shift codes usually expire in 2-3 weeks, so check back here once a week or so if you're looking to actively restock.
Now on to the really cool stuff: the special Shift codes that allow you to unlock unique items and cosmetics.
Borderlands 2 Shift Cosmetic Codes
Despite being years old, these Shift codes for character skins have not been deactivated (at least not yet). As far as we know, they should continue to work. Thanks to Orcz for an exhaustive list that is mostly up to date.
Community Day Skin
- C35TB-WS6ST-TXBRK-TTTJT-JJH6H (Salvador Community Day Skin, 5 Gold Keys)
- 53KBB-KXXRC-RZ66Z-WFJBB-WSRZ3 (Zer0 Community Day Skin, 5 Gold Keys)
- 5B3BJ-XZWFW-T3KRZ-JBJTB-6WST9 (Maya Community Day Skin, 5 Golden Keys)
- W353J-RR6RC-X96R9-C63J3-RJTFW (Exton Community Day Skin, 5 Gold Keys)
- WJ5TB BJSZJ TFB6W JTJJJ 3Z3CB (Krieg Community Day Skin, 5 Golden Keys)
- 5JWBB-9ZX9J-B636C-BBBBT-ZCWXF (Gaige community day skin, 5 gold keys)
Tiny Tina's attack on the Dragon Fortress
- KTK3J-FR3JS-ZX55B-B3BJ3-HSRB6 (Axton's Natural Twenty skin)
- 535BB-3R3BZ-HF5K3-JJB33-3BF3J (Summoner Gage disease skin)
- CTKJ3-9CBJS-9R5WT-JBJ3T-WKXKF (skin Zer0 "The Pandora Chainmail Massacre")
- CBCJ3-W5TT9-S65K3-BJJ3B-XHWWC (Maya's "Her Cruel Nature" skin)
- CBKJ3-5FT39-ZRCCT-JTJB3-RFJ5B (skin Krieg's My Fantasies Involve Blood)
- 5J5TT-RCJBS-ZXWCJ-TJ3BJ-TK3FB (bare bear of El Salvador)
Head
- KJKJT-WHBKX-HC9BT-TJBJ3-XJFSJ (Exton Light Warrior Head)
- CBKBJ-6ZJW6-HKH3T-B3T33-F5ZRS (head of travel magician Gage)
- CT5BB-XTW5X-9CSBT-3BTTJ-FT5X5 (Zer0's G0ry Gh0ul head)
- KTC3T-WTW5F-ZCHB3-BT3B3-XJ9WR (head of Maya's elven eliminator)
- CBKBB-ZHJC6-SWHJT-JJ3BB-3CXHS (head of Krieg's My Ears Are Ringing)
- WBCJJ-33KWR-S5Z33-BJTTB-65WJJ (head of Salvador's The Beast Within)
Loverpalooza
- 5T53B-6K9KT-Z5B65-BTJJ3-655CZ (Loverpalooza skin and weapons)
- WTCBJ-FTCXF-5TXCT-3TJ33-TZXW6 (Krieg's Loverpalooza skin)
Zaford luck
- 5JWT3-3H5FB-SCBX5-TJ3JB-H5R6X (skin Luck of the Zafords and Chulainn SMG)
Borderlands The Pre-Sequel
- CJKBJ-3XWTF-HCJ6K-JJB3T-SB35X (skin Axton as Athena)
- CTWTB-RXKTR-SKJXW-3TBTJ-KXKKH (El Salvador as Wilhelm)
- KBWT3-WF5TR-SC3XW-T333B-TSCTS (Maya as Niche skin)
- W3C33-H653X-9CTR5-3TBJ3-HZ99S (Zer0 as Claptrap skin)
- 53WT3-59KJX-95B65-3J333-S9JW9 (Gaige in the form of Moon Moxie)
- CTKTJ-JSWJF-SCJXK-3TJJ3-RWTKX (Krieg as Skawa skin)
Borderlands 2 Shift Class Mod Cheats
Class mods change the way characters play and give certain skills great bonuses and benefits. If you are planning a new Borderlands 2 playthrough, be sure to use these Shift codes as they open up new possibilities for the game.
- 5JKBJ-K9WHW-WBZTJ-T3TTB-TW9HR (Axton Class Mod)
- W3C3B-5JRZC-WJH33-JBJJB-9S6CJ (Gaige Class Mod)
- CBWJ3-S5CJ3-WTTCF-WX333-9STBF (Zer0 Class Mod)
- WJWJ3-FXC33-KT3CR-KR33J-J9B35 (Maya Class Mod)
- WTCJT-J653B-C3TKF-5X333-F6JRH (Krieg Class Mod)
- WJKBB-KXC3J-5BBCR-5X33J-XZ6RZ (Salvador Class Mod)
Borderlands 2 Gold Key Shift Codes
Browse the long list of Shift codes on this Wiki page to find many codes that still work. Most of them will give you a bunch of five golden keys, which means five openings in the Vault for a purple loot. But here are a few codes that you should definitely redeem, which do much more than just five keys. Enter them and you will swim in loot!
- WBK3T-BKW6T-TXTRK-JTTBT-C6BS5 (25 gold keys)
- 5BW3B-F96CT-KXJFK-TB3B3-39BWZ (20 gold keys)
- W3KJB-H9CBW-XRBRW-JTBTJ-9JRXK (25 gold keys)