If you’re playing through the Recruitment Drive mission in Borderlands 4, you’ll eventually hit a roadblock: a locked elevator that refuses to respond when you try to call it.
Recruitment Drive is the 2nd mission in Borderlands 4, just after Gun Blazing. Players get stuck at the elevator part of the mission. The game keeps telling you to get “clearance” for the elevator which it doesn’t clearly tell you how to.
This section of the game trips a lot of the players, so I thought why not help everyone out? This guide walks you through how to get clearance for the elevator and continue Claptrap’s chaotic recruitment scheme.
How to Find Elevator Clearance in Borderlands 4
During the Recruitment Drive mission you’ll fight Rippers, and even take on a mini-boss named “Splashzone” which gets you the Glide Ability. Using that ability you can scale up the Broadcast Tower and when you’re up there, Claptrap asks you to call in the elevator.
After finishing the broadcast tower climb, approach the elevator and try interacting with the panel. You’ll see that it won’t activate. This triggers the objective to “Find Clearance.”
To make the elevator run, you must get a device attached to a fallen Timekeeper among the dead bodies present around the elevator. Turn around from the elevator, approach the one leaning against a crate, and collect the device attached to its neck, which will glow green.
But when you interact with the control panel, nothing happens, you’re missing the clearance device.
You can now use the elevator and bring Claptrap up, who was waiting for you below. He will now unlock the broken door to the Abandoned Post safehouse. Here, you can interact with the data pad to unlock it as a fast travel point and unlock your first safehouse
Here you will also find vending machines and a few side quests. This place will serve as your base for the early game on Kairos.
After going through all the trouble to unlock the elevator, you will earn some cash, Eridium, a shield, and some XP.
That’s all for this Borderlands 4 guide on how to get the clearance for the elevator during the Recruitment Drive mission. I hope that you found this guide helpful. If you want more Borderlands 4, check out our dedicated Borderlands 4 guides hub.
