Before we decode the numbers, we need to pinpoint the location. You will not stumble upon this broadcast during the main story mission "Airborne" or while fighting Solomon Grundy. You need to be actively investigating the Subway area—specifically the abandoned train tunnels beneath the bowels of Arkham City.
As you navigate the flooded tunnels and dodge the occasional thug, you will hear a crackling radio transmission. It’s easy to miss if you’re in combat. The voice is distorted, mechanical, and repetitive. It utters only two short phrases:
"Broadcast... 2-7-5... 3-2-5."
It loops every 30 seconds. To the untrained ear, it is nonsense. To the seasoned detective, it is a lifeline.
Wait—two locations? That is the trick. The broadcast gives you two coordinates because the puzzle requires triangulation. You are not supposed to go to one location. You are supposed to stand at the midpoint between them.
Here are compact, commonly used approaches for decoding such sequences in game puzzles:
Phone keypad mapping (2=ABC, 3=DEF, etc.):
Book cipher / keyed substitution:
Coordinate mapping (map grid or in-game map sectors):
Date/time or file indexing:
Caesar or Vigenère variations:
Many players mistakenly believe the solution is to input "275" then "325". That fails. Instead, you must subtract the tower’s ambient noise frequency (which is always 130 Hz due to the generators below). Here is the correct decryption:
The truth (spoiler-free straightforward method):
When you climb the tower, look at the three vertical sliders on the left side of the control panel. Each slider has a hidden marking only visible in Detective Mode:
Thus, the code to input on the keypad is 2-5-2. However, that unlocks only the first lock. Then the tower asks for a second code. That code is 3-7-5 (middle digit of first pair, first digit of second pair, last digit of second pair).
So the full decoding sequence is:
This disables the broadcast permanently. batman arkham city decode broadcast 2-7-5 3-2-5
| Key | Letters | Presses | |-----|---------|---------| | 2 | ABC | 1=A,2=B,3=C,4=A,… | | 3 | DEF | 1=D,2=E,3=F,4=D,… | | 4 | GHI | 1=G,2=H,3=I,4=G,… | | 5 | JKL | 1=J,2=K,3=L,4=J,… | | 6 | MNO | 1=M,2=N,3=O,4=M,… | | 7 | PQRS | 1=P,2=Q,3=R,4=S,5=P,… | | 8 | TUV | 1=T,2=U,3=V,4=T,… | | 9 | WXYZ | 1=W,2=X,3=Y,4=Z,5=W,… |
Final answer to the riddle “2-7-5 3-2-5”:
Decoded word = BATMAN — use it as the broadcast frequency.
Batman: Arkham City , the broadcast numbers 2-7-5, 3-2-5 refer to a specific radio frequency used during the Enigma Conundrum
side mission. This code is given to Batman by the first hostage rescued from the Church and Medical Center (and later relocated to the Courthouse How to Decode the Broadcast To proceed with the mission, you must use the Cryptographic Sequencer to tune into these coordinates manually. Open the Cryptographic Sequencer : Pull out the gadget while in the game world. Set the Frequency X-Axis (Horizontal) Y-Axis (Vertical)
: You do not need to be pixel-perfect; once you are close to these numbers, the signal strength will increase, and you will hear the Riddler’s voice Confirm the Signal
: Hold the designated button (e.g., 'A' on Xbox, 'X' on PlayStation) to lock in the frequency and begin the next stage of the puzzle. Mission Progression
Once decoded, the Riddler will present his first riddle. Solving it—the answer is
—reveals the location of the next hostage. This process repeats for several hostages as you track down the Riddler’s hideout. Arkham Wiki Note on "Numbers Stations"
Players often confuse these mission-related numbers with the secret numbers station Easter eggs
scattered throughout the city. Unlike the 2-7-5/3-2-5 frequency, those Easter eggs feature a disembodied voice reciting long strings of digits (e.g., 9-23-9-12...) that translate into hidden messages from the Do you need help with the location of the second hostage or the solutions to the later frequency puzzles 2-7-5 3-2-5. *spoilers* - Batman: Arkham City - GameFAQs
I just got it as close to there as I could and it worked. I was off by at least 2 or 3 numbers in each direction.
The rain in Arkham City didn’t wash things clean; it just made the grime slicker. It ran in oily rivulets down the gargoyle perches, dripping onto the neon-soaked asphalt below.
Batman crouched on the edge of the cathedral spire, his cape pulled tight against the wind. The Cryptographic Sequencer was warm in his gauntlet, its display casting a pale blue glow against his cowl. For the last three hours, he had been sweeping the airwaves, isolating the panicked chatter of inmates from the strategic commands of TYGER guards.
But there was one signal that kept slipping through the encryption. A burst of static, rhythmic and precise, cycling on a loop every fifteen minutes. It wasn't voice. It was data.
"I'm isolating the frequency," Alfred's voice crackled through the comms, refined and steady amidst the chaos. "It appears to be piggybacking off the old municipal satellite feed. Master Bruce, this encryption is military-grade. Older protocols, but robust."
"I'm locking it in," Batman growled. His fingers moved across the holographic interface of the Sequencer. The device hummed, the visualizer on the screen spiking as it caught the signal. Before we decode the numbers, we need to
The encryption key shifted, a wall of white noise. Batman adjusted the frequency bandwidth, tuning out the interference of the city. The signal was coming from the processing center in the southeast sector. TYGER territory.
"Decoding," Batman muttered.
The static hissed, popped, and then resolved into a harsh, synthesized whisper. It was a dead drop. A message left for someone who never arrived.
“Package secured. Coordinates locked. Authorization: 2-7-5.”
Batman narrowed his eyes behind the mask. "Alfred, run the code sequence '2-7-5' against TYGER command protocols."
"Searching," Alfred replied. A moment of silence stretched, filled only by the distant sound of police sirens and the heavy thud of the rain. "Negative match, sir. '2-7-5' corresponds to an archived GCPD evidence routing number. Specifically... a cold case from five years ago."
"What was the case?"
"The disappearance of a bio-engineer from Gotham University. The file was sealed by order of Commissioner Gordon."
Batman tapped the side of his cowl, bringing up the detective mode visor. He scanned the signal's origin point again. It wasn't a voice transmission; it was a tracking beacon. The message continued to loop.
“Containment breach imminent. Secondary failsafe engaged. Sector: 3-2-5.”
"3-2-5," Batman repeated. He pulled up the map of Arkham City. "That’s not a grid reference."
"No, sir," Alfred confirmed, his tone becoming more urgent. "It’s a medical code. Specifically, it refers to a neurological toxicity event. The subject is undergoing a specific biochemical breakdown."
"Strange," Batman said, the realization clicking into place. "He's not broadcasting to TYGER command. He's broadcasting to me."
The numbers weren't coordinates for a location. They were the combination to an old safe deposit box in the processing center's evidence room—one that Hugo Strange had 'confiscated' upon the inmate's arrival.
Batman stood, his cape snapping in the wind. He fired his grapnel gun, the hook biting into the stonework of the processing center across the street.
"I'm moving to the source," Batman said. "If there's a containment breach in that facility, Strange is covering it up. And that engineer... he might still be alive." "Broadcast
"Be careful, sir," Alfred warned. "If the code is indeed '3-2-5', the subject may be highly unstable."
"I'm counting on it," Batman replied. He launched into the air, gliding silently toward the looming concrete fortress. The broadcast continued to echo in his ear, a desperate digital heartbeat in the belly of the beast.
“2-7-5... 3-2-5... Requesting immediate extraction.”
Batman cut the feed. He had the numbers. Now he just needed the truth.
2-7-5 / 3-2-5 Batman: Arkham City is the radio frequency used to advance the "Enigma Conundrum" side mission. The Role of Frequency 2-7-5 / 3-2-5
Unlike the creepy "number station" broadcasts hidden throughout Arkham City that hint at Scarecrow, this specific frequency is a direct gameplay requirement given to you by the first hostage you rescue. : You receive these numbers from M.P.T. Eddie Burlow : He is found inside the Courthouse after you clear out Two-Face’s thugs. : Once he gives you the numbers, you must open your Cryptographic Sequencer and tune it to these exact coordinates: 275 on the X-axis 325 on the Y-axis : Successful decoding triggers a broadcast from The Riddler
, which provides the first riddle for his Enigma Machine, leading you to the next hostage location. Why Players Get Confused
Many players stumble upon this frequency while actually searching for the Scarecrow Easter Egg
broadcasts. While the Riddler frequency is a mission objective, the true "secret" broadcasts are hidden number stations that don't appear on your map: Steam Community Frequencies (X/Y) Decoded Meaning Broadcast 1 "I will return, Batman." Broadcast 2 "You will pay for what you have done to me." Broadcast 3 "Fear will tear Gotham City to shreds." The Riddler's frequency
is simply your entry point into his deadly game of wits. If you're having trouble locking it in, try to get as close as possible; the sequencer usually triggers even if you are off by a few digits. location of the second hostage or how to solve the first Enigma riddle? 2-7-5 3-2-5. *spoilers* - Batman: Arkham City - GameFAQs
I just got it as close to there as I could and it worked. I was off by at least 2 or 3 numbers in each direction. 2-7-5 3-2-5. *spoilers* - Batman: Arkham City - GameFAQs
just get close. i was off by maybe 5 and i was still able to press x and decode the frequency.. "I got a Gamecast." 2-7-5 3-2-5. *spoilers* - Batman: Arkham City - GameFAQs
The "broadcast 2-7-5 3-2-5" puzzle in Batman: Arkham City is a perfect example of the game’s intelligent design—hiding a simple slider puzzle behind a veneer of cryptographic intimidation. By understanding that the numbers reference physical slider positions rather than radio frequencies, any player can solve it in under a minute.
Next time you grapple up that tower, remember: 2-5-2, then 3-7-5. Justice prevails over cryptic numerology.
Have you found other hidden ciphers in Arkham City? Share your discoveries in the comments below.