Revenge of the Cartels is a Seasonal Event in Borderlands 3 and contains a hidden puzzle that challenges players due to its multi-layered process. In this Borderlands 3 Guide, I will tell you where to find the Cartel Puzzle and how to solve it so you can open the secret loot room in Joey Ultravoilet’s Mansion.
Table of contents
“Every Mansion Needs a Puzzle” Challenge Explained
Revenge of the Cartels used to be a Seasonal Event that occurred once a year, however, Gearbox Software later updated the game to provide the ability to enable or disable events at will. Now you can toggle seasonal events in Borderlands 3.
One of the challenges in the Borderlands 3 “Revenge of the Cartels” Event is called; “Every Mansion Needs a Puzzle”. Solving this hidden Cartels Puzzle doesn’t just mark off one of the tasks from the event’s challenge list to unlock special event rewards but also provides access to a secret room in the Mansion containing high-quality loot.
The challenge with this puzzle is that the code and the cipher change each time you load the map. You can only try and enter the code once per playthrough. If you enter the wrong sequence of numbers, the puzzle is locked and you can only try it again by reloading the map.
Where to find the Cartel Puzzle in Borderlands 3
The Cartel Puzzle is hidden in the Study Room which is about halfway through the map; Villa Ultraviolet. This section of the walkthrough assumes you already enabled the event and gained access to the map.
- Fight your way into the Mansion.
- Head to the second floor by using the stairs in the entrance hall.
- Make your way to the Grand Baller Room by going left or right at the top of the stairs.
- Defeat several waves of enemies in the Grand Baller Room.
- Defeat the random Cartel Mini-Boss, after they have slammed through the Study Room door, and gain access to the locked-off area.
- Congrats, you have found the location of the Cartel Puzzle; “Every Mansion Needs a Puzzle”.
Mini-Bosses
The named enemies listed below are the random mini-bosses you can encounter in the Revenge of the Cartel’s map. They all have a high chance to drop dedicated Cartel Legendary Items.
How to solve the Cartel Puzzle in Borderlands 3
Solving the Cartel Mansion Puzzle is a multi-step process and in this walkthrough, I will tell you what to do and what you need to look out for. This section assumes you already have found the correct location, if not check above.
There is no time limit to this puzzle, so take your time and do it correctly because entering the code incorrectly locks the puzzle and you will need to try again on another run.
How to solve the Cartel Puzzle in Joey Ultraviolet’s Mansion?
- Activate the monitors in the locked-off room
Enable the monitors on the wall by interacting with the keyboard that’s in the center of the locked-off Study Room.
- Get the code sequence from the monitors
The 4 monitors on the Study Room entrance wall will display various symbols after interacting with the keyboard. These symbols can be a pyramid (triangle), a cube (square), or a cylinder (circle) shape.
Remember the symbols from left to right as they form the order and key of the code.
Note: The sequence of symbols is different every time you activate the monitors and you can only activate them once when playing through this map. - Decipher the symbols
There is a bookcase to the left of the room when looking at the monitors (to the right when walking into the room).
The bookcase contains a secret grid consisting of 9 slots which are divided into 3 vertical lines (columns). A statue sitting underneath each column corresponds with one of the symbols as they are similar in shape.
There are 3 shelves above each statue which 2 are empty and 1 has an ornament inside of it. The shelf containing the ornament corresponds with the next step of the Cartel Puzzle.
Note: The locations of the ornaments change every time you activate the puzzle. - Decipher the ornaments
The location of the ornaments corresponds with a numbered book in the bookcase on the back wall, left from the desk, as they both feature a grid containing 9 slots. The placement of the ornament translates to the number of the corresponding book.
For example; On the left column, the one with the purple Triangle, if the ornament is in the center row, this corresponds with the center book of the left column that has the number 4 on it. - Enter the correct code
Interact with the numbered books on the back wall to enter the code for the Cartel Puzzle.
Follow the order as shown on the 4 monitors from left to right and only interact with the numbered books that correspond with the ornament of that shape.
For this example the code in this walkthrough is; Square, Square, Triangle, Circle = 2, 2, 4, 9 - Access the secret loot room
After entering the correct access code, the bookcase on the sidewall will open up. Here you will find more Eridium dust piles and multiple loot chests and cabins that provide high-quality gear.
Puzzle Codex: Shapes and Numbers
- The code sequence changes every time you jump into the map, Villa Ultraviolet.
- The shapes always correspond with 1 of these 3 numbers reflective of their column.
- The ornament’s position on the bookshelves determines the final number the shape represents.
| Triangle/Pyramide | Square/Cube | Circle/Cylinder |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
