Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep

Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep is the fourth and final campaign add-on for Borderlands 2, launched in June 2013, and it remains one of the most celebrated pieces of downloadable content Gearbox Software has ever produced. While Borderlands games are known for genre-mashing, this expansion goes a step further by framing the familiar looter-shooter mechanics inside a tabletop fantasy role-playing session called “Bunkers & Badasses,” a clear parody of Dungeons & Dragons. The result is a campaign that honors classic fantasy tropes—castles, orcs, skeletons, wizards—while subverting them with Borderlands’ trademark humor and gun-centric gameplay. The entire story is told through the imagination of Tiny Tina, the hyperactive thirteen-year-old explosives expert introduced in the main game. She serves as the dungeon master, narrating locations, spawning enemies, and rewriting the scenario on the fly whenever she changes her mind. The campaign opens with the remaining Crimson Raiders gathering around a table in Sanctuary after the events of the base game. They are grieving the death of soldier Roland, who was not only their leader but also a father figure to Tina. Her decision to run a Bunkers & Badasses one-shot is an attempt to keep Roland “alive” at the table, refusing to accept his absence. This narrative device injects surprising emotional weight into an otherwise irreverent expansion: the audience witnesses Tina’s gradual acceptance of loss as her narration shifts from denial to acknowledgement that Roland will not be returning. Gameplay remains quintessential Borderlands—shoot, loot, level—yet the reskin gives every element a fantasy veneer. Assault rifles become crossbow-themed repeaters, grenades masquerade as spell scrolls, and electricity is renamed “shock magic.” New enemy families include skeleton archers, orc warbosses, treants, dark wizards, pixies, and spiders encased in crystal armor. Boss encounters are more elaborate than typical side missions: players battle the Handsome Sorcerer (a caricature of the primary antagonist Handsome Jack), duel a gigantic crumpet-obsessed dragon, and can summon raid bosses such as the Ancient Dragons of Destruction for high-level cooperative challenges. The expansion also introduces loot chests that roll a twenty-sided die to determine rarity, reinforcing the tabletop motif mechanically rather than just aesthetically. One memorable section highlights the dynamic nature of Tina’s narration. In the “Flamerock Refuge” hub area, the town initially appears peaceful until Tina remembers the world should feel darker; the sky abruptly turns purple, the buildings burn, and new quests unlock. Another example is the “Lair of Infinite Agony,” where Tina whimsically swaps out a corridor of invisible bridges for a spike-filled death trap, catching even returning players off guard. These sudden shifts keep the campaign unpredictable and place the player inside Tina’s mind, blurring the boundary between storyteller and game engine. Despite its fantasy skin, the DLC integrates seamlessly with Borderlands 2’s progression. Characters can enter at around level 30, and the expansion scales up to level 35 in Normal Mode and much higher in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, ensuring high-level loot and experience. A new currency called Seraph Crystals drops from raid bosses, enabling purchases of Seraph-quality weapons at special vending machines. For completionists, 10 new heads, 10 new skins, and an entire set of optional side quests expand the cosmetic and narrative depth of the base game. Critically, Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep was praised for its heartfelt writing and inventive structure. Reviewers lauded the balance between comedy—such as Brick’s obsession with punching dragons—and genuine emotion, particularly in the climactic scene where Tina finally allows the player characters to lay Roland to rest. Many outlets regarded it as the high-point of Borderlands 2’s post-launch content, with some calling it one of the best DLC packages of the console generation. The expansion left a lasting legacy within the franchise. Fan response to its hybrid shooter-RPG fantasy identity convinced Gearbox to explore an entire spin-off title, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, released in 2022. Before that, in 2021, Gearbox rereleased Assault on Dragon Keep as a standalone “One-Shot Adventure,” allowing new players on modern systems to sample the campaign without owning Borderlands 2. The standalone version retains virtually all original content while tweaking loot balance and adding SHiFT code support, ensuring relevance nearly a decade after its debut.