007 First Light Hotel Infiltration: 3 Ways to Get Inside

Key Takeaways

• The press badge in the flower pot is the easiest route into the hotel
• A second press badge exists in the security tent but requires using the dart phone
• Players can skip badges entirely by creating a fire diversion and climbing through a window

After surviving what players are calling an intensely long tutorial, 007 First Light throws you into Slovakia with a simple objective: get inside the hotel. If you've played IO Interactive's Hitman series, you already know the drill. Case the environment, find your openings, exploit guard patterns. For everyone else, this mission serves as your crash course in Bond-style infiltration.

The game presents three distinct approaches. You can charm your way through security with a stolen press badge, knock out guards for a speedrun-friendly alternative, or bypass the checkpoint entirely through stealth and fire. Here's how each method works.

Method 1: Find the Press Badge in the Flower Pot

This is the path IO Interactive wants you to find first. A security checkpoint guards the hotel's back entrance, and you need valid credentials to pass. The game nudges you toward eavesdropping on a journalist wearing a tan pantsuit on the left side of the outdoor terrace.

Listen to her conversation and you'll pick up Inspiration points plus a tip: her colleague hid a press badge in a flower pot on the lower terrace level. Head down the staircase you just climbed. Look for a grey concrete pot sitting on the railing near a decorative, boarded-up well. Grab the badge, walk to the checkpoint, present your credentials, and you're in.

Method 2: Steal the Badge from the Security Tent

Speedrunners will prefer this route. A second press badge sits inside a metal case in the security tent itself. The catch: two guards are watching it.

Use your dart phone on the guard standing beside the case. While he's incapacitated, sneak behind the second guard and grab the badge. It's faster than hunting down the flower pot, but riskier. One wrong move and you've blown your cover. For a first playthrough, stick with the flower pot unless you're comfortable with the game's stealth mechanics.

Method 3: Create a Fire Diversion

Want to get in without touching a badge at all? This method lets you bypass the checkpoint entirely. First, you need a lighter. Find the staffer sitting on a bench near a maid and pickpocket it from him.

To the left of the security checkpoint sits a wheelbarrow full of dried leaves. Use the lighter to set them on fire. The nearby staffer will rush over to investigate. While they're distracted, vault over the ledge and climb the wall to reach an open window on the upper level. You're inside, no badge required, no guards alerted.

Which Method Should You Choose?

Each approach feeds into 007 First Light's achievement system. If you're hunting for completionist rewards, you'll eventually want to try all three. For a first playthrough focused on the story, the flower pot badge offers the smoothest experience. It's the intended tutorial path and teaches you how social engineering works in IO Interactive's stealth framework.

The fire diversion is best for players who want a pure stealth run with no NPC interaction. The security tent method sits in between, requiring both combat tools and quick reflexes.

“We wanted to craft a Bond that felt vulnerable yet lethal, a man just starting to understand the weight of the 00-status.”

— Hakan Abrak, CEO of IO Interactive

That vulnerability shows in the mission design. Unlike later Hitman entries where Agent 47 feels like an unstoppable force, young Bond can get overwhelmed quickly. The multiple infiltration paths aren't just about player choice. They're escape valves for when your first plan falls apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the press badge in 007 First Light?

The easiest press badge is in a grey flower pot on the lower terrace level, near a boarded-up decorative well. A second badge is inside the security tent in a metal case.

Can you infiltrate the hotel without a press badge?

Yes. Steal a lighter, ignite the wheelbarrow of dry leaves near the security checkpoint, and climb through the open window while the staff is distracted.

How do you get the press badge from the security tent?

Use the dart phone to incapacitate the guard next to the metal case, then sneak behind the second guard to grab the badge.

What is the best infiltration method for beginners?

The flower pot press badge is the easiest and intended first-playthrough path. Eavesdrop on the journalist, grab the badge from the lower terrace, and present it at the checkpoint.

Source: PCGamer latest