How to Get Intel & Clearance Level in 007 First Light

TL;DR

• Intel and Clearance Level are earned inside TacSim (Tactical Simulations) mode.
• Intel is the currency you spend in the Intel Shop to buy outfits, weapons, gadgets, and skins.
• Clearance Level is your rank — it unlocks new items in the shop.
• Complete Escalations and Operations to earn both XP and Intel.
• Completing challenges inside each mission gives extra Intel and XP fast.
• TacSim Escalations unlock after Chapter 6. Operations unlock after finishing the story.

How to Get Intel & Clearance Level in 007 First Light is one of the first things players ask about after jumping into TacSim. These two systems control what you can buy and unlock in the game’s endgame shop. Once you understand how they work together, grinding them becomes much easier. This guide covers everything — from where to find the Intel Shop to the fastest ways to raise your Clearance Level.

What Is TacSim in 007 First Light?

TacSim stands for Tactical Simulations. 007 First Light is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It is the game’s post-story challenge mode, built by IO Interactive — the same studio behind the Hitman series. The idea is similar to Hitman’s bonus missions and elusive targets.

In TacSim, you replay story missions with new rules, modifiers, and objectives. It is its own separate mode from the main campaign. You access it from the Main Menu, and your Clearance Level inside TacSim is completely separate from your story progress.

TacSim unlocks in two stages:

• Escalations unlock after completing Chapter 6: A Night Out.
• Operations unlock after finishing the full main story.

The first two Escalations — Iceland Advanced Tactical Training and Malta Advanced Close Combat Training — unlock as soon as you finish those matching story missions. They act as a tutorial for TacSim itself before harder missions open up.

What Is Intel in 007 First Light?

Intel is the main currency you use inside TacSim. You earn it by playing missions, completing challenges, and finishing Escalations and Operations. Think of Intel as the coins you collect to spend in the Intel Shop.

Intel lets you buy:

• Outfits for James Bond
• Weapons
• Weapon Skins
• Gadgets
• Gadget Upgrades
• Gadget Skins

Early simulations like Iceland and Malta reward around 100 Intel per tier. Completing in-mission challenges gives you even more on top of that. You need both Intel and the required Clearance Level to buy anything from the shop, so you cannot skip ahead by grinding only one of them.

Note that Intel here refers to the TacSim currency. There is also a separate type of Intel in the main campaign — collectible MI6 files you find hidden across levels. Those are different things. If you are looking for those, check out our 007 First Light all missions, challenges, and collectibles guide.

What Is Clearance Level in 007 First Light?

Clearance Level is your rank inside TacSim. It works like a level-up system. You start at Clearance Level 1 every time you enter TacSim for the first time. As you complete missions and challenges, you earn XP. Enough XP pushes you to the next Clearance Level.

Higher Clearance Levels unlock new items in the Intel Shop. For example, one outfit costs 1,000 Intel and requires Clearance Level 1. Another costs 2,000 Intel but needs Clearance Level 6. The Chessmaster Suit requires Clearance Level 12.

You cannot buy locked items no matter how much Intel you have. You need the right Clearance Level first, then spend the Intel. Both things must match for a purchase to go through.

Where Is the Intel Shop in 007 First Light?

The Intel Shop is inside the Tactical Simulations area. When you enter TacSim from the Main Menu, you will see a simulation room at the bottom of some stairs. The Intel Shop is located just before you reach that room. Walk up to it and interact with it to browse all available items.

Everything you can spend Intel on is listed there — outfits, gadgets, weapons, and cosmetic skins. Keep in mind that these purchases are exclusive to TacSim. They are not part of the main campaign’s progression.

How to Get Intel in 007 First Light

Intel drops from every TacSim activity. The main sources are:

• Completing Escalation tiers — each tier gives a fixed Intel reward.
• Completing Operations — these are larger sandbox missions with specific objectives.
• Finishing in-mission challenges — every Escalation and Operation has a set of challenges. Each one you complete gives extra Intel on top of the base mission reward.

Challenges are the most efficient way to earn Intel fast. Press the Touchpad (PlayStation) or the equivalent button on your platform during a mission to view your active challenges. Try to knock out as many as possible in a single run.

To see how to set up the best build before going in, read our 007 First Light best gadget loadout guide and 007 First Light all gadgets guide.

How to Get Clearance Level in 007 First Light

Clearance Level goes up through XP. You earn XP the same ways you earn Intel — by completing Escalations, Operations, and their challenges. The difference is that Intel is a spendable resource, while XP permanently raises your Clearance Level.

Fastest ways to raise Clearance Level:

• Replay the shortest Escalations repeatedly and complete their challenges each run.
• Focus on in-mission challenges because they give extra XP on top of the base run reward.
• Start with the Iceland and Malta Escalations — they are short, familiar, and quick to clear.
• Run Operations once you finish the story for a bigger XP and Intel boost per session.

Most players reach Clearance Level 3 naturally just by working through the four TacSim trophies or achievements. If you need to push past that, replaying a short Escalation with all challenges completed is the fastest method.

Escalations vs Operations: What Is the Difference?

TacSim has two types of missions. Knowing which is which helps you plan how to spend your time.

Escalations

Escalations are short trials built around combat, stealth, or improvisation. Each Escalation has around three tiers. Each tier gets harder than the last. You earn Intel and XP from every tier, and each Escalation has its own set of challenges that give additional rewards when completed.

Escalations unlock after Chapter 6 of the story, so you can start farming Intel and XP before you even finish the campaign. For challenge-specific help, check our 007 First Light Against the Odds challenges guide.

Operations

Operations are bigger. They drop you into a sandbox environment with specific objectives, similar to how story missions play out. They are endgame content — you can only access them after finishing the main story.

Operations are online-only and accessible from the Title Screen. They reward more XP and Intel per session than Escalations, making them ideal for grinding once you are done with the campaign. Escalations and Operations both have global leaderboards, so you can compete for high scores with other players.

How Agent Score Affects Intel and XP Rewards

Every TacSim run is scored using the Agent Score system. Your score is calculated based on several factors:

• Objective completion
• Time taken to finish
• Stealth maintained
• Number of detections
• Lethal vs non-lethal play
• Active modifiers you chose before the run

A higher Agent Score means more Intel and XP at the end. If you want to maximize rewards, try to stay stealthy, avoid getting spotted, and complete all objectives cleanly. Modifiers increase the difficulty but also push your score higher if you clear them successfully.

Your scores post to both a global leaderboard and a friends-only leaderboard. Competing on leaderboards is a good reason to keep replaying missions even after you have hit your target Clearance Level.

Tips to Earn Intel and Clearance Level Fast

• Do challenges every single run. Skipping challenges means leaving Intel and XP on the table. Press the Touchpad mid-mission to see what is active and adjust your play accordingly.
• Start with Iceland and Malta. These Escalations are short and easy to repeat. They are the fastest early source of Intel and XP.
• Pick modifiers that fit your playstyle. If you are a stealth player, do not take a headshots-only modifier on your first run. Play to your strengths to keep your Agent Score high.
• Save Intel for cosmetics you actually want. Every Clearance Level unlocks new items. Do not spend all your Intel on early items — better options open up as your level rises.
• Replay Escalations before Operations open up. Since Operations are story-complete only, Escalations are your main source of progression during the campaign.
• Focus on story progress first if you want all missions unlocked. The full TacSim roster requires completing the campaign, so finishing the story opens up more ways to earn Intel and XP faster.

To help plan your run, read our 007 First Light how to replay missions guide and the 007 First Light Classified Papers challenge guide.

What Can You Buy With Intel?

The Intel Shop has a solid range of items. Here is a quick overview of what each category offers:

• Outfits — cosmetic suits and looks for James Bond. Some require specific Clearance Levels. For a full breakdown, see our 007 First Light how to change outfits guide.
• Weapons — new weapon options you can bring into TacSim missions.
• Weapon Skins — cosmetic changes to your weapons.
• Gadgets — additional gadget options for your TacSim loadout.
• Gadget Upgrades — improvements to existing gadgets.
• Gadget Skins — cosmetic changes to your gadgets.

Remember, all of these are TacSim-exclusive. They do not carry over to the main campaign. If you want to see what is available before you earn enough Intel, browsing the shop is free — only buying costs currency.

For more on gadgets, see our full 007 First Light all gadgets and best gadget loadout guides.

Other Things to Know About TacSim

A few extra details worth knowing before you dive in:

• Operations mode is online only. You need an internet connection to access it.
• The modifier list in TacSim expands the more runs you complete. New modifiers unlock as you keep playing.
• Each TacSim run lets you pick a loadout before starting — same system as story missions.
• Global leaderboards track your best Agent Score per mission. This adds long-term replay value beyond just chasing cosmetics.
• IO Interactive has confirmed future updates will add more TacSim challenges post-launch.

If you want to plan your full playthrough before diving into TacSim, our 007 First Light how long to beat guide is a good starting point. You can also check the 007 First Light Joshua Pike investigation guide for story mission help.

Where to Buy 007 First Light

The game is available on all major platforms. You can get it on PlayStation Store, Xbox, Steam, or Epic Games Store. If you have not bought the game yet, check our 007 First Light all pre-order and Deluxe Edition items guide to see which edition is worth it before you buy.

Also check our 007 First Light PC requirements guide if you are playing on PC. And if you want help with one of the trickier in-game tasks, our 007 First Light compound basement keys guide has you covered.