Cyberpunk 2077 is CD Projekt Red's open-world RPG set in the dystopian Night City, where you play as V — a mercenary with a digital ghost of Keanu Reeves stuck in their head. After the massive 2.0 Update and Phantom Liberty expansion, the game was completely overhauled with reworked skill trees, new police system, vehicle combat, and cyberware capacity limits. The game now features some of the best first-person RPG combat available, with builds ranging from invisible netrunner hackers to chrome-loaded melee berserkers.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness — factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netrunner | S | Scan enemies through walls, queue multiple quickhacks, watch everything die without firing a shot. | Militech Paraline Cyberdeck, Tier 5++ Quickhacks, Netrunner Suit |
| Solo | S | Pop Berserk, charge into groups, tank damage while dealing massive melee or shotgun hits. | Militech Berserk, Gorilla Arms or Mantis Blades, Erebus SMG |
| Techie | A | Charge tech weapons, shoot through walls, and maintain the best gear through crafting. | Achilles Precision Rifle, Comrade's Hammer, Tier 5 Cyberware |
| Nomad | B | Stealthy assassin using silenced weapons, throwing knives, and Sandevistan for bullet-time escapes. | Overwatch Sniper Rifle, Sandevistan, Optical Camo |
| Corpo | B | Activate Sandevistan, slice everyone in bullet-time with katana combos. | Satori Katana, QianT Sandevistan Mk.4, Monowire |
S-Tier: Netrunner
Full Intelligence build that kills through walls using quickhacks. With a Tier 5 Cyberdeck and hacks like Synapse Burnout or Short Circuit, you can clear entire buildings without entering. The Overclock mechanic lets you spend health instead of RAM for devastating hack chains.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Skippy | A talking smart pistol found in an alleyway in Vista Del Rey. |
| Core Gear | Militech Paraline Cyberdeck, Tier 5++ Quickhacks, Netrunner Suit | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Intelligence 20 > Cool 15 > Body 12 > Technical Ability | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | cyberware upgrades | Cyberware is implanted by Ripperdocs across Night City and uses a capacity system (post-2. |
How to Play Netrunner
Scan enemies through walls, queue multiple quickhacks, watch everything die without firing a shot.
Full Intelligence build that kills through walls using quickhacks. With a Tier 5 Cyberdeck and hacks like Synapse Burnout or Short Circuit, you can clear entire buildings without entering. The Overclock mechanic lets you spend health instead of RAM for devastating hack chains.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Skippy and cyberware upgrades creates a gameplay loop that outperforms other options. Core gear like Militech Paraline Cyberdeck, Tier 5++ Quickhacks, Netrunner Suit amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Clear stat priority (Intelligence 20 > Cool 15 > Body 12 > Technical Ability) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
S-Tier: Solo
A Body/Reflexes combat monster that combines Berserk cyberware with shotguns or melee weapons for devastating close-range damage. The Adrenaline Rush perk tree in Body provides insane survivability with health regen and armor bonuses. Gorilla Arms or Mantis Blades complete the chrome-warrior fantasy.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Widow Maker | An iconic tech precision rifle obtained from Nash during the Panam questline. |
| Core Gear | Militech Berserk, Gorilla Arms or Mantis Blades, Erebus SMG | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Body 20 > Reflexes 18 > Cool 12 | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | quickhacking | Quickhacking lets you upload daemons to enemies through the cyberdeck equipped in your head slot. |
How to Play Solo
Pop Berserk, charge into groups, tank damage while dealing massive melee or shotgun hits.
A Body/Reflexes combat monster that combines Berserk cyberware with shotguns or melee weapons for devastating close-range damage. The Adrenaline Rush perk tree in Body provides insane survivability with health regen and armor bonuses. Gorilla Arms or Mantis Blades complete the chrome-warrior fantasy.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Widow Maker and quickhacking creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Militech Berserk, Gorilla Arms or Mantis Blades, Erebus SMG amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Clear stat priority (Body 20 > Reflexes 18 > Cool 12) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Techie
Technical Ability build focused on tech weapons that charge shots through cover and crafting the best gear. Bolt weapons like the Achilles Precision Rifle or Breakthrough Power Sniper can one-shot through walls. The Edgerunner perk lets you exceed cyberware capacity at the cost of health.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Overwatch | Panam's iconic suppressed sniper rifle given to you during her questline. |
| Core Gear | Achilles Precision Rifle, Comrade's Hammer, Tier 5 Cyberware | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Technical Ability 20 > Reflexes 15 > Body 12 | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | vehicle combat | Added in Update 2. |
How to Play Techie
Charge tech weapons, shoot through walls, and maintain the best gear through crafting.
Technical Ability build focused on tech weapons that charge shots through cover and crafting the best gear. Bolt weapons like the Achilles Precision Rifle or Breakthrough Power Sniper can one-shot through walls. The Edgerunner perk lets you exceed cyberware capacity at the cost of health.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Overwatch and vehicle combat creates a gameplay loop that offers reliable performance. Core gear like Achilles Precision Rifle, Comrade's Hammer, Tier 5 Cyberware amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Clear stat priority (Technical Ability 20 > Reflexes 15 > Body 12) makes gearing straightforward
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
B-Tier: Nomad
Not a traditional class but a lifepath that gives unique dialogue options and a backstory. As a build, Nomad players often go Cool/Reflexes for a gunslinger feel. The Cool tree's Focus and Ninjutsu branches enable stealth with throwing knives and silenced weapons.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Comrade's Hammer | A tech revolver that fires one shot per cylinder but that shot does absolutely massive damage and penetrates walls. |
| Core Gear | Overwatch Sniper Rifle, Sandevistan, Optical Camo | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Cool 20 > Reflexes 18 > Body 10 | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | crafting system | Crafting requires the Technical Ability tree and allows you to create and upgrade weapons, clothing, and consumables. |
How to Play Nomad
Stealthy assassin using silenced weapons, throwing knives, and Sandevistan for bullet-time escapes.
Not a traditional class but a lifepath that gives unique dialogue options and a backstory. As a build, Nomad players often go Cool/Reflexes for a gunslinger feel. The Cool tree's Focus and Ninjutsu branches enable stealth with throwing knives and silenced weapons.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Comrade's Hammer and crafting system creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Overwatch Sniper Rifle, Sandevistan, Optical Camo amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Clear stat priority (Cool 20 > Reflexes 18 > Body 10) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
B-Tier: Corpo
A lifepath rather than a mechanical build, Corpo gives unique dialogue options in corporate settings. Often paired with a Reflexes/Cool build for the 'stylish assassin' fantasy. The Sandevistan cyberware (slows time by 80%) combined with katanas creates the iconic Edgerunner anime playstyle.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Erebus | An iconic SMG added in the Phantom Liberty expansion, obtained in Dogtown. |
| Core Gear | Satori Katana, QianT Sandevistan Mk.4, Monowire | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Reflexes 20 > Cool 16 > Body 14 | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | skill progression | The 2. |
How to Play Corpo
Activate Sandevistan, slice everyone in bullet-time with katana combos.
A lifepath rather than a mechanical build, Corpo gives unique dialogue options in corporate settings. Often paired with a Reflexes/Cool build for the 'stylish assassin' fantasy. The Sandevistan cyberware (slows time by 80%) combined with katanas creates the iconic Edgerunner anime playstyle.
What makes this build work: The synergy between Erebus and skill progression creates a gameplay loop that provides a unique approach. Core gear like Satori Katana, QianT Sandevistan Mk.4, Monowire amplifies this further.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Clear stat priority (Reflexes 20 > Cool 16 > Body 14) makes gearing straightforward
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Solo — the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Netrunner once you understand core mechanics and have access to Skippy
- Keep a Techie setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Corpo for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first — it gives the biggest power spike
- Invest in Body early for survivability — the Adrenaline Rush perk at Body 15 gives passive health regeneration in combat that trivializes most encounters.
- Quickhacking trivializes the game if you invest Intelligence to 20. Contagion can wipe an entire building through walls before you enter.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
See our tier list for current meta rankings, or the beginner's guide if you're just getting started.
