Updated at: 22-05-2023 - By: Leo Hall
Viewing this Cyberpunk 2077 guide with the best builds and perks to unlock is essential if you want to get the most out of the game.

In Cyberpunk 2077, you can choose from a wide variety of hyper-specific perks that allow for some truly unique character builds, such as becoming a hacking god or just punching everything with your fists.

Whether your playstyle is focused on hacking, melee, or long-range combat, this guide will highlight the best builds and perks to unlock in Cyberpunk 2077.

For a more comprehensive introduction to Cyberpunk 2077 and Night City, check out our comprehensive Beginner’s Guide.

Attributes, Skills, and Perks Explained

You need to put points into the right combination of Attributes, Skills, and Perks to create a specific kind of character. They each have their own effect on the game, but they all relate to one another.

You can think of your attributes as your baseline stats or the structural cornerstones that will shape V’s playstyle. Body, Reflexes, Technical Capability, Intelligence, and Cool are the five characteristics.

By putting points into a specific Attribute, V gains access to new abilities he can use. Each of the game’s 12 Attributes is associated with two or three of the game’s 12 Skills.

The effectiveness of your build can be modified in finer detail with the help of “Perks,” which are skill-specific modifiers. There are far too many to name individually, but we’ll cover the most important ones here.

Cyberpunk 2077 Builds | tips for finding the best character build | VG247

Jack of All Trades Build

Discipline: Generalist

Principal Qualities: Physical (Athletics), Reactive (Assault), Cognitive (Quickhacking), and Psychological (Stealth).

Regeneration, Bulletjock, Biosynergy, and Crouching Tiger are some highly recommended perks.

The Jack of All Trades (master of none) build allows you to dabble in many different areas without devoting yourself fully to any one.

Even though you won’t have some of the game’s flashier or more powerful perks, you’ll be prepared for anything the game throws at you.

You shouldn’t focus too heavily on any one area, so make sure to put some points into Body, Reflexes, Intelligence, and Cool to make up for the lack of specialization.

Netrunner Build

Focus: Computer intrusion

Intelligence is essential (Protocol Breach and Fast Hacking).

Mass Vulnerability, Bloodware, Biosynergy, and Hacker Overlord are Suggested Benefits.

Since technology plays such an important role in the Cyberpunk universe, why not transform V into a hacking machine that can eliminate an entire enemy squad without firing a shot?

The Intelligence attribute and its associated skills, Breach Protocol and Quickhacking, are crucial to the success of this Netrunner build.

Quickhacking enables you to create game-changing Legendary Quickhacks that deal more damage and spread to nearby enemies, while Breach Protocol increases your RAM and overall hacking capabilities.

Silent Assassin Build

The Art of Disappearing

Features: Intelligent (Breach Protocol), Stealthy (Cold Blood), and Cool (Stealth).

Favorite Benefits: Big Sleep, Strike, Silent & Deadly, Crouching Tiger, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Night City is a great place to practice stealth, both lethal and nonlethal, thanks to the abundance of cover and hackable objects found there.

In order to complete the Silent Assassin build, you must master using V’s physical and cybernetic abilities to avoid detection while sneaking up on enemies, disabling cameras, and dispatching them.

Skills like Stealth, Cold Blood, and Breach Protocol will help you greatly in this endeavor, as will increasing your overall Cool and Intelligence.

Mercenary Build

Concentration: Small Arms, Medium Arms, and Handguns

Key Characteristics: Quick Reactions (Attack) and a Strong Physical Build (Athletics)

Advantages such as Bulletjock, Bullseye, Regeneration, and Executioner are suggested.

If you’re the type of player who likes to charge into battle with both barrels blazing, the Mercenary class gives you access to a wide variety of weapons and the ability to use them effectively from medium range up to close range.

Reflexes, which increases damage dealt, and Reflexes, which increases health regeneration and overall survivability, should be your primary areas of focus.

It’s not as flashy as some of the other structures here, but it should meet your “shoot first, ask questions later” requirements.

Marksman Build

Sniper rifles are our area of expertise.

Important Qualities: Swiftness (Assault) and Calmness (Stealth).

Advantages such as Eagle Vision, Bullseye, Executioner, Sniper, and Sneak Attack come highly suggested.

The Marksman build is ideal for anyone who likes to pick off enemies methodically from afar, as it is tailored for powerful one-shot kills at great ranges.

You should prioritize Reflexes and Cool because they enhance your lethality and stealth.

Compared to the other builds we’ve discussed, this one can make some missions feel rather dull. Still, if you’re having trouble with Cyberpunk’s bullet-spongy enemies, it could be worth looking into.

Gunrunner Build

Weapons expert, especially shotguns and grenades

Principal Characteristics: Physical (Sports and Destruction)

Bulldozer, Divided Attention, the Cardio Cure, and the Speed Demon are all highly recommended perks.

With the Gunrunner build, V becomes a crazed runner who shoots everything that moves and uses grenades to decimate groups of enemies.

Focusing on quick movement and heavy shotgun damage will help you avoid melee attacks and quickly close the gap between long-range enemies.

Investing heavily in the Body attribute will help you get there, as will unlocking and improving skills that make shotguns more effective.

Brawler Build

Concentration: Close Quarters Battle

Main Characteristics: Physicality (Street Fighter) and Calmness (Cold Blood).

Blood Brawl, Flurry, and Rush are some highly suggested bonuses.

The simplest approach is often the most effective. Why not just use your two fists to bully your way through any situation?

The Brawler class is best at close quarters combat and relies on blunt weapons, bare knuckles, and gorilla arms to deal massive damage.

Focusing on your Body and Cool attributes, especially the skills Street Brawler and Cold Blooded, will help you get the most out of this build.

Swordsman Build

Blades are your specialty.

Reflexes (Blades), Physical Prowess (Athletics)

Crimson Dance, Bloodlust, Wolverine, and Gladiator are some highly suggested Abilities.

There must be at least one build in here that specializes in using blades to slash through enemies.

You should put most of your points into Reflexes, and more specifically Blades, as well as Body and Athletics if you want to excel.

You should also be proficient with Cyberpunk’s dodging and blocking mechanics and have access to the sharpest katanas and Mantis Blades available to quickly dispose of your foes.

Body – Athletics – Epimorphosis

Choosing the optimal lifepath affects the game’s role-playing elements, but picking the right perks is more important for success. Epimorphosis, which increases how much players can heal back, is arguably the most game-changing skill.

With a single perk point, V can double the amount of health she can heal while in combat and remove the cap on health regeneration outside of combat. No matter how they prefer to approach fights, players can’t pass up the opportunity to always start at full health.

Cool – Cold Blood – Cold Blood

Cold Blood’s base benefit may not seem all that impressive at first. After killing an enemy, your movement speed will increase slightly, and you’ll be encouraged to keep killing enemies quickly so that the buff lasts. By itself, it serves little practical purpose.

However, Cold Blood has something for everyone. Combines well with Rapid Bloodflow to speed up V’s healing and cut down on his need for potions. Combine it with Immunity and you’ll never have to fear the effects of the elements again.

Top 12 Best Perks In Cyberpunk 2077

Reflexes – Blades – Stuck Pig

It is difficult to recommend most blades skills as general ones because they are specific to blades. Stuck Pig, on the other hand, lengthens the time that bleed effects last, which are applied frequently by all weapons.

Some of the jams played during boss fights in Cyberpunk 2077 are incredible. However, their full potential is not realized until bleed damage is added, which is most effective against targets with high health.

Technical Ability – Crafting – Edgerunner Artisan

Players who aren’t using three legendary weapons are doing themselves a huge disservice given that they only have three weapon slots. This also applies to upgrades and protective gear. Players who lack the ability to create legendary weapons will be at a disadvantage.

It is crucial that you learn this ability and ignore the other crafting bonuses. In a game of this length, crafting rare or epic items is pointless because simply finding the necessary gear will yield better results. Pick this one and you’ll get the most out of your rewards points.

Technical Ability – Engineering – Bladerunner

While the majority of the game’s foes are human, how do you plan to handle the rough robotic ones? The presence of robots, turrets, and other mechanical guards necessitates adjustments in every construction.

For two trait points, they take 40% more damage from all sources. That’s a huge deal in battle, and it means that ammunition and supplies will build up as the game progresses rather than dwindle.

Intelligence – Breach Protocol – Mass Vulnerability: Resistances

Everyone can’t be a genius at breaking codes. The game is designed to be won in a variety of ways that give players the most freedom of expression. However, before the actual fighting begins, V will almost always have the opportunity to upload a single daemon.

For three minutes, one perk makes all enemies 30% easier to kill. This is the most straightforward option because the 30% applies to all damage types against all biological and mechanical nodes in the network.

Body – Athletics – Pack Mule

Finding an Eddie in Night City is an absurdly difficult task. It’s clear that Cyberpunk 2077’s price tag belongs in the “what should change” pile, while the game’s other features should remain unchanged.

Players can be careful to sell down after each performance, but some of the main missions require too much gear for a normal carry. Don’t throw away useful tools and supplies; instead, spend a single point to bring them all with you to the finish line.

Body – Athetics – Regeneration

Health not regenerating may seem like one of the game’s many bugs or glitches at first. Players will go through hundreds, if not thousands, of consumables in a single playthrough because health does not regenerate naturally.

Within combat, this issue can be resolved for the cost of a single skill point. Even though the tooltip says it regenerates slowly, V can easily recover from the damage done by a few low-threat shooters. This is especially true if V is facing a full-on hail of bullets.

Cool – Ninjutsu – Sniper

With two points invested in this perk, non-combat headshots will deal 20% more damage. Now, this is obviously the best option for snipers, but what about those who like to sneak up on their targets? Believe it or not, they may value this ability even more than professional snipers.

Why? Well, because fewer shots are fired if you can eliminate one foe before joining the fray. Less damage taken and fewer foes to kill equals more kills, more loot, and more money for a new place to live.

Technical Ability – Crafting – Scrapper

Players who undertake the challenge of completing each Search & Recover gig will amass a sizable collection. In addition, they’ll accumulate a mountain of trash. They may have to abandon their legitimate arms and clothing if the trash slows them down too much.

V can pick up whatever he wants because everything he encounters is automatically transformed into usable components. This perk eliminates two problems with one stroke: getting rid of the junk and making money off of it by selling or repurposing the parts.

Technical Ability – Crafting – Mechanic

Any V worth his or her V-Bucks will want to kill it at every Thievery show. Therefore, everyone from nomadic people to corporate executives will amass a collection of common but useless equipment. It’s fine to sell it, but the parts are also worth a lot of money.

The scrapper benefit also applies here, increasing the returns from automatically dismantled waste. For the sake of purchasing a high-end hypercar, any V should seriously consider these benefits.

Intelligence – Breach Protocol – Extended Network Interface

Players will be incentivized to undertake a dangerous but financially rewarding side gig: tracking down and eliminating every cyberpsycho in Night City. If they only kill their marks and steal their stuff, they’ll be missing out on a lot of hidden eurodollars.

The majority of the game’s entrances are concealed on laptops, in wall panels, and atop buildings. For the cost of one perk point, V’s mini-map and HUD interface will do the work of locating these for him, even if he has a keen eye.

Intelligence – Breach Protocol – Advanced Datamine

No matter how the player decides to play, V will be breaking through security checkpoints. Don’t leave them here; they’re eddies waiting to be scooped up. The game’s ending can be good or bad, but it’ll look a lot better if V isn’t busted.

The value of having your earnings double for the cost of just two bonus points is unbeatable. With this cash in hand, the player is free to invest in whatever cybernetics or augmentations their heart desires. Cyberpunk 2077’s currency system is unparalleled in its flexibility.

Intelligence – Quickhacking – Biosynergy

RAM does not naturally regenerate in combat without some assistance, just like health does not. A cyberdeck with more than two sticks is ideal, but without V’s Biosynergy perk, players can only use a maximum of two quickhacks at a time.

Recouping twelve sticks per minute is a significant improvement for even light hackers, but even one point makes a big difference. Because of this, players can use any hack at any time without worrying about overloading the game’s memory.

Cool – Ninjutsu – Assassin

Cyberpunk 2077 features a wide range of antagonists, but most of them are still just regular people gone bad. A robot, turret, or mech may be spotted once in a while, but they are definitely in the minority.

Keep in mind that it usually only takes a couple of quick hacks to disable robotic foes. It’s not uncommon for a single quickhack to disable the entire network of robots. In most cases, a 15% increase in damage dealt to humans will result in a flat 15% increase in damage dealt.

Body – Athletics – Tenacious V

It can be a hassle to track down information on how to change V’s appearance. However, staying alive in combat can be difficult due to V’s health regeneration being halted for a few seconds whenever she takes damage. The latter is what will cause so much frustration among players.

With Tenacious V, V’s health regeneration continues unimpeded even after taking damage. The value of this health restoration is immeasurable. This aids stealthy players as well, as there are points in the game where they cannot remain cloaked.

Cyberpunk 2077: 18 Tips To Get Off To A Good Start As A Beginner

Don’t Ignore The NCPD Scanner Hustles

As the player advances in level, NCDP scanner scams appear all over Night City. Common examples include interrogating a suspect or stopping an active assault. Even though there isn’t much meat on the bones in terms of story and plot in these side quests, players should still finish them for a few reasons:

  • They may also be a source of useful crafting materials and tools.
  • They’re great for getting some extra dough so you can upgrade your ride.
  • Grinding these mini-missions will quickly raise a player’s level and reputation in the game’s criminal underworld.

Explore The Verticality Of The City

Before the release of Cyberpunk 2077, CDPR stated that the game’s world would be significantly smaller than that of The Witcher 3, but this is mainly due to the verticality of the city. Rooftops and other locations are abundant, and easy access is provided by both stairs and elevators.

A high level of mobility is required if players are to fully investigate the city’s verticality. That leads us to the next, equally vital item on this list.

Get The Best Cyberware ASAP

The meat and potatoes of the game are the cyberware upgrades at ripperdoc clinics. New cyberware becomes available to players as they increase their street cred. Having the right cyberware to round out a potent character build is crucial for success in battle. In Cyberpunk 2077, these are the most useful pieces of cyberware for players to acquire:

  • All cyberdecks, but especially those used by Netrunner players.
  • Light bending through a Kiroshi lens. These are an essential part of any structure. There are three different versions available, but the third one is the most refined.
  • When V’s health bar is empty, a second heart can restore it once.
  • Kerenzikov, you must avoid getting hit as you aim and fire.
  • V’s defenses are improved by the use of subdermal armor. Excellent and adaptable for any construction.
  • Time moves more slowly while on Sandevistan, and your chances of landing a Critical Hit are higher. Available in four distinct flavors.
  • V can now use Smart-type weapons thanks to the Smart Link. Essential for builds that feature these types of weapons.
  • The blades on V’s arms erupt like mantises. Among the best melee weapons available.
  • V’s tendons have been reinforced, allowing him to do a double jump in midair.

Always Check The Danger Level Of An Encounter

Nothing in the game automatically adjusts to the player’s level, so not every part of the game will be easy for newcomers at first. Watson, the game’s initial hub, is ideal for new players to level up and grind in. This is because the degree of difficulty varies depending on the region.

A player need only hover over a quest marker on the map to learn its relative peril. The following is a breakdown of mission difficulties:

  • Very Low
  • Low
  • Moderate
  • High
  • Very High

If you have a lot of experience with shooters, you can probably handle the High difficulty setting, but if you’re just starting out, I’d recommend sticking with the Moderate setting.

Choosing A Life Path

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game where the player has to make a lot of decisions, the first of which is V’s Life Path. Corpo, Street Kid, and Nomad are the three available choices. Despite being labeled as a “Life Path,” the ramifications of such a decision are far less weighty than the name might imply. Players decide how they want the game to begin by selecting their Life Path.

This will have an impact on the opening sequence, certain conversational paths, and a few later-game acquaintances. The Life Path has no effect on the game’s progression in any other way. Don’t worry too much about picking one. It’s not quite as massive as it appears, but there’s plenty of potential for future use.

Don’t Focus So Much On Headshotting

As its name implies, Cyberpunk 2077 is primarily a first-person shooter. Many players will likely conclude from this that killing an opponent with a headshot is the quickest option. In Cyberpunk 2077, headshots don’t pay off nearly as well as they do in other first-person shooters. While players will notice a slight increase in damage, it won’t be anywhere near as much as they’re used to seeing when they land a few projectiles on an enemy’s noggin.

Instead, players should concentrate on improving their arsenal, learning how to best utilize their weapons against specific enemies, and realizing that a lot of nuanced math goes into Cyberpunk 2077’s damage calculations. Sniper shots to the head will eventually be very effective against V’s enemies, but this is not as obvious as it is in other shooters.

Be Aware Of Your Choices

Some gamers are prone to making split-second choices during play; when the inevitable repercussions materialize, they often don’t give much thought to the decision they just made. The Life Path may look similar, but that has nothing to do with how seriously the game considers the player’s decisions. Cyberpunk remembers these details, whereas in other games the player may never notice the effects at all.

The outcomes of side missions, the lines of dialogue, and even the options available to V can all be affected by decisions made more than 15 hours into the game’s playtime. Pay close attention; it’s okay to make hasty decisions in this situation, but keep in mind that doing so may have already set a chain of events in motion.

Gather Up That Street Cred

Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of CD Projekt Red’s previous game The Witcher 3, is a jaded loner who is unbeatable; all he lacks are levels. Playing such a role can make you want to put everything else on the back burner in favor of getting ahead. This was encouraged in The Witcher, but in Cyberpunk it just wouldn’t work. As an alternative, players must keep an eye on a new metric dubbed “Street Cred” in addition to their usual Level and Upgrade tracking.

No matter what happens, whether Night City is saved or destroyed, V will be remembered as one of the most notoriously badass mercenaries in history. Where street cred comes in is at this point. Perform well at gigs and you’ll gain Street Cred. As V’s fame grows throughout Night City, so does supply. There will always be more work to do, no matter how much progress is made.

Don’t Sleep On Crafting

Even though crafting isn’t required to “be all you can be” in Cyberpunk 2077, it certainly helps. Players who choose to specialize in crafting will have to invest points in a deep tree in order to learn how to create specific weapons, but if they are lucky enough to come across the necessary components on their travels, the payoff can be ridiculous. If you can’speed run’ to the crafting of certain weapons, you’ll have an incredible advantage early on in the game. ”

Players shouldn’t underestimate the importance of being able to craft items quickly and easily on the fly, and should instead prioritize unlocking the ability to craft Legendary items. V’s survival may depend on his ability to duck behind cover to make some bandages or more ammunition while the enemy is attacking.

If you want to finish V’s stash wall in their apartment, you’ll need to know how to craft.

All That Glitters Is Eddies

Whatever you want to call the virtual currency used in the game, “Eurodollars” or “Eddies” will get the job done. Since resources are limited at the outset of the journey and everything requires Eddies, the early game should revolve largely around completing jobs and collecting as much as V can carry.

Now, if you want to maximize your earnings, you should avoid using the Scrapper perk. It’s a perk that, in a nutshell, destroys any trash that V picks up automatically. Those who have it have no use for “junk. V is the one who does this, after all. There is useless junk, and then there is junk that is worth more than its weight in Eddies. V’s wallet will thank you if you manually deal with the “junk” instead of throwing it away automatically.

Let The Story Ride Shotgun

It’s possible that players will skip the story if the open world is too daunting. This is an obvious temptation in Cyberpunk, especially given the staggering variety of things to do in Night City. If you inject some time pressure into the story, you can count on a certain percentage of players to breeze through it. The story on its own is enjoyable, but it would be a huge disservice to miss out on the rest of what Night City has to offer.

Exploring and interacting with Night City is not only essential to getting the full game experience, but can also change the game’s ending in significant ways. Ignore the sense of urgency and enjoy Night City to the fullest; all that labor could be fatal anyway.

Bank Those Precious Points

Attribute Points and Perk Points are two of the most important systems to track in the game, much like Street Cred and Levels. The levels of challenge range from “easy” to “normal” to “high” to “very high.” Nonetheless, the level gap is felt harshly by all fans regardless of their skill level unless they invest in upgrades. However, you shouldn’t just toss out those arguments either. In reality, doing so would be just as useless.

Cyberpunk is a situational game in which the requirements for success are not known until the moment they are needed and where multiple strategies exist for completing a single stage. In such a situation, it is wise to spend Attribute and Perk Points. The decision to invest in an upgrade at any time, even in the middle of a firefight, can mean the difference between life and death, or at least a reloaded save.

Think About Who You Want To Be

Cyberpunk 2077’s system design means that players will have a wide variety of options to explore. Banking points is a good tactic because it allows players to focus their resources on one tree at a time, making it easier to complete a given mission. Although this is a prudent approach, it must not compromise the fun that each player has in Night City.

Stacking up points is a good strategy, but it shouldn’t define who V is. Cyberpunk 2077 is enjoyable in part because it allows players to shape their own narrative and gameplay experiences. Learn to fight like a pro on the streets, or train to become the best Netrunner ever. Ultimately, deciding “what path” V should take requires careful consideration. However, respeccing can be a time-consuming and costly process.

Get A Grip On Driving

Cyberpunk 2077 has a wide variety of vehicles for players to acquire and operate, but they shouldn’t just hop in and drive off without giving it some thought first. It’s important to remember that this is not a “racing game,” and that the driving mechanics are likely to be very unfamiliar. Many vehicles in Cyberpunk 2077’s world handle horribly at higher speeds, so players looking for a Grand Theft Auto-style experience will be disappointed.

Taking a more “realistic approach,” V will have a tough time navigating the congested roads of Night City. Players should hold off on opening up the throttle until they reach the outskirts of the city. The majority of drivers also prefer the third-person perspective because it improves their odds of “seeing oncoming obstacles. ”

O, Mighty Quick Save!

Bugs in Cyberpunk are still as common as criminals in Night City. Some games will freeze and need to be restarted if this happens, and NPCs may break into T-poses or have their audio balance thrown off, or have tones that don’t match. Even the lawless lunatics of Night City are less infuriating than bugs that affect the gameplay, ruin the emotional moment, or demand unsaved progress as a sacrifice, but only when the bug is purely cosmetic, like in the case of AC: Unity’s faceless nightmares.

The best way to avoid this is to frequently save your game using the quick save feature. Purchase something? Save. Across town in a car? Save.  A save was just loaded, huh? Save!  Cyberpunk may at any time decide that your work should not be saved.

Best Netrunner Build Cyberpunk 2077 1.6 - Top Skills, Weapons, etc

Explore The Options

When there is only one way to complete a level, finding a different approach to doing so can be very rewarding. Cyberpunk is one of the games that is joining the trend of offering multiple solutions to completing a stage. Despite being well-worn paths, these alternatives to success in a level are no less satisfying than the norm. Nothing can prevent everything from exploding and falling apart. That’s essentially the goal.

Either the difficulty was too easy or something went wrong if things ran smoothly. Create a strategy to accomplish a challenging goal, and test out potential approaches on less-threatening projects. Discover the simple goals that CDPR blew up into complex patterns. By the conclusion, there will still be new hacking and infiltration techniques for players to discover. Developing oneself is always a personal choice.

Always Look Around

Those who have played both Destiny and Skyrim know how dispersed the iconic weapons are. Even though it made sense, Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t use the same concepts. In fact, Cyberpunk’s most recognizable firearms aren’t even hidden; they’re just not where most players will look for them in a game of this size: the story missions.

It can be easy to lose sight of this when the story’s exciting developments have you captivated, but taking a break to investigate the area around you will almost always pay dividends. Perhaps Johnny is telling V to get the hell out of there. Just tell Johnny to chill out; there’s treasure nearby.

Got A Sec To Chat?

The breadth and depth of player agency at nearly every tier is a shining example of CD Projekt Red’s design philosophy and dedication to detail. CDPR not only provides variety, but the variety within that variety that will certainly demand a replay (once the game is fixed), from narrative decisions to clothing choices. Many conversation choices aren’t crucial, and some of them contribute nothing to the story’s progression, but they’re still something.

In fact, the breadth and depth of the lore and backstory available to players through the various dialogue choices is impressive. Night City’s citizens may not be as distinct as those in Watch Dogs: Legion, but the conversations and messages in each interaction are remarkably deep and complex, giving the city a life of its own.

Available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia as of December 10, 2020.