While cash is the currency you’re going to be using most often in Borderlands 3, there is of course Eridium: the rare and mysterious substance that is extremely valuable across the six galaxies. You might have noticed the unbreakable purple crystal stalks scattered about and in this guide we’ll let you know how to break Eridium Crystals in Borderlands 3.

How to Break Eridium Crystal in Borderlands 3

Smash and stab the Eridium Crystals scattered about Borderlands 3 all you want, until you reach a certain point in the campaign you won’t be able to crack them open.

You’ll still receive some Eridium from certain missions, so you’re not totally deprived, but you have to wait a bit before you can tap into this additional source.

Specifically, you’ll need to wait until you have completed the mission Beneath the Meridian. Without getting into spoiler territory, you’ll need to go to a pretty important location, kill a super difficult enemy (you’ll know it when you fight it) and at the conclusion of that fight, the main mission will direct you to where you can claim your new melee attack designed specifically for breaking Eridium Crystals up for you to collect them.

Once you’ve cleared this portion of the mission, to break the crystals, you simply need to walk up to them, press in the right stick for PS4 and Xbox One, or the V key if you’re on a PC, to bust them up. You need to be lined up well with it, otherwise the game might not register that you’re trying to break the crystal, and will instead just do your normal melee attack.

That’s all you need to know for how to break Eridium Crystals in Borderlands 3. In sum:

Complete the boss fight in the main mission Beneath the Meridian, on Promethea to unlock the ability.
Press Right Stick (V for Keyboards), while standing over a crystal to break it.

For more Borderlands 3, be sure to check out our wiki guide which is chock full of more tips, tricks and FAQs answered.