In Borderlands 4, one early mission called Recruitment Drive asks players to gain elevator clearance. Without this clearance, you can’t call the elevator in the Broadcast Tower to proceed. It’s a small obstacle, but many players miss it. Below is a clear, step-by-step guide to make sure you know how to get elevator clearance, plus tips for avoiding common traps.
Elevator clearance is a required permission granted during the Recruitment Drive mission. It’s tied to a key item found on a corpse near the elevator shaft. Once obtained, it allows the elevator to be activated so you can advance the mission.
Where You’ll Need It
You encounter this requirement near the end of the Recruitment Drive. After:
- clearing out waves of rippers (enemy creatures)
- defeating the boss called Splashzone
- returning to the Broadcast Tower area
You’ll reach a point where the elevator does not respond. You need elevator clearance to trigger its operation. If you try to use it without clearance, nothing happens.
How to Get the Clearance: Step-By-Step
- Face the Elevator
When you arrive at the elevator in the Broadcast Tower, stand so you are looking directly at its door. - Turn Away from the Elevator
From that position, turn around so that your back is to the elevator. - Locate the Corpse by the Crate and Railing
You will see a dead body slumped against a crate by the balcony railing, somewhere near your position. There are a few corpses around, but the correct one is the one closest to the railing balustrade, slightly to one side. - Inspect the Back of the Neck
Walk up to that corpse. On the back of its neck (or near the base of its skull), there will be a small, glowing green piece of tech (often called a “bolt”). It’s the item you need. - Collect the Item
Interact with that glowing chip. Once you have done this, you earn the elevator clearance. - Return to the Elevator and Use It
Go back to the elevator and call it. Now it will function, allowing you to travel up to the Broadcast Tower’s elevator destination.
What Happens After You Get Clearance
After you call the elevator:
- Claptrap (a non-player character) will travel up in it.
- You’ll break through a blocked door and gain access to the Safehouse.
- In the Safehouse, you’ll find a command console and datapad. Using this will earn you several benefits:
• Unlocking fast travel to that point
• Getting rewards such as XP, items, maybe some cash or in-game currency
• Access to the Safehouse’s vending machine
Tips & Common Mistakes
- Don’t shoot every corpse: Shooting or disturbing corpses before you investigate them might make it harder to get the chip. Approach them carefully.
- Look for the glow: The clearance chip glows green. If you don’t see the glow, you might be at the wrong corpse.
- Check around railing areas: Often the rail areas have visibility to dead bodies. Overlooking side crates or corners is common.
- Retrace steps if lost: If you’ve passed the elevator without noticing, turn back and scan your surroundings. The game doesn’t always give big hints.
- Use cover and conserve health: Before this, you’ll have battled quite a few enemies. Make sure you’re stocked up on health/ammo, because you’ll need to survive until you get the elevator.
Why Knowing This Matters
Because Borderlands 4 is designed to guide you through challenges that test observation, this elevator clearance bit is an early example. If you miss it, you may feel stuck, unsure what to do next. Understanding how to spot the chip and where to look means less wasted time and frustration. It helps maintain momentum in the game and keeps the story flowing.
