Ethan Crossfield 
Borderlands players have a limited-time reason to check their SHiFT accounts: Gearbox is marking the series’ 100 million sales milestone with Golden Keys for five games. The giveaway is available through November 16, while the community’s next St. Jude fundraising effort begins even sooner.
What changed for Borderlands players
Gearbox and 2K have confirmed that Borderlands has surpassed 100 million copies sold worldwide. The milestone arrives after Borderlands 4 launched on September 11, 2026, adding another major entry to a franchise that began with the original Borderlands in 2009. Across mainline games and spin-offs, the series has built its identity around first-person combat, RPG progression and a huge pool of procedurally generated weapons. The new total places the long-running looter-shooter among the industry’s biggest commercial game franchises.
Who can claim the free Golden Keys
The celebration includes 20 Golden Keys for each participating Borderlands title: Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Borderlands 3 and Borderlands 4. Players who own all five eligible games can receive up to 100 keys in total. The code is CZKJJ-35RH6-T9K9C-9TJJT-SXRCT, and it can be redeemed once per account through SHiFT. It expires on November 16, 2026, so players should not wait if they want the rewards. Golden Keys are typically useful for opening in-game reward chests, making this a practical bonus for both returning players and active Borderlands 4 users.
What to watch next: The Hunt charity event
The sales announcement also highlights the Borderlands community’s charitable work. Earlier in 2026, The Hunt fundraising event generated a record $118,995.80 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The next edition starts on November 6, 2026, and 2K Foundations and Gearbox have said they will match donations dollar for dollar, up to the amount raised during the previous event. Based on that commitment, the initiative could exceed $200,000 for the hospital. Gearbox also indicated that additional Borderlands content is in development, though no further release details were provided.
What players should know
- Use SHiFT code CZKJJ-35RH6-T9K9C-9TJJT-SXRCT to claim the anniversary rewards.
- The code grants 20 Golden Keys for each of the five eligible Borderlands games.
- Redemption is limited to one use per account and ends on November 16, 2026.
- The Hunt returns on November 6, with donation matching that could push the St. Jude total beyond $200,000.
Expert View
This is a straightforward but worthwhile player promotion: the key giveaway has a clear deadline, applies across several games and does not require a new purchase to be useful. The stronger story, however, is the community fundraising result. Borderlands’ 100 million sales total confirms its commercial reach, while The Hunt shows that its audience can produce impact beyond the games themselves.
