Key Takeaways
- In Cyberpunk 2077, Perks are an essential part of the game that can greatly enhance a player’s abilities and overall gameplay experience.
Build crafting is an essential element to the experimentation and joy of Cyberpunk 2077. Ever since the release of Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0, Attributes and Perks have received reworks and revamps to make them stronger than ever, allowing for a stronger emphasis on crafting the ultimate V.
As players start their journey into Cyberpunk 2077, or for those well experienced in Night City and Dogtown, it’s worth noting the most essential Perks in Cyberpunk 2077 specifically for the fact that players cannot reset their Attribute Points, but can reset their Perks. With these Perks acquired, players will have a better shot at surviving Night City.
Updated on October 2, 2024, by Jake Fillery: As players reach the max attribute points in Cyberpunk 2077 of 60, they can invest into a fair few perks that will allow them to become a Night City Legend. The best Cyberpunk 2077 perks are a mixture of different attributes, but there are some that are utterly essential in their design to ensure the smoothest gameplay and the hardest V that comes to fight.
14 Air Dash
Dash Faster for Less Stamina and Dash in Midair
- Attribute Tree: Reflexes
- Requirements: 15 Attribute Points in Reflexes
- Description: =20% Dash Stamina cost. +20% Dash speed. Unlocks the ability to Dash in midair.
If players want to further unlock the versatility and freeing speeds of combat, then the three perk points to invest into the Reflexes attribute, Air Dash, is a wise choice indeed. Air Dash doesn’t just cut back on the amount of stamina required to dash, but it also increases the speed of dashes themselves. Yet, the true divinity is unlocked at level 3 with a midair dash.
Midair dash is incredible, especially paired with the right leg cyberware that allows players to double jump and dash, reaching speeds across Night City that can beat even the fastest of motorcycles. Shooting in midair and avoiding gunfire feels extremely smooth with Air Dash.
13 All Things Cyber
-20% Cyberware Capacity Cost for Integumentary and Skeleton Systems
- Attribute Tree: Technical Ability
- Requirements: 4 Attribute Points in Technical Ability
- Description: +10% to all cyberware stat modifiers. -20% Cyberware Capacity cost for cyberware in the Integumentary System and Skeleton.
All Things Cyber is integral to the Technical Ability perk tree due to its bonus of cyberware stat modifiers. With two levels into All Things Cyber, players have further advantages to their cyberware thanks to the fact that using slots in the Integumentary System and Skeleton areas provides players with less capacity cost.
This provides players with further flexibility with their cyberware, allowing them to fill themselves with more chrome. All Things Cyber is also great thanks to it providing players with their first spot in the Technical Ability tree.
12 License to Chrome
- Attribute Tree: Technical Ability
- Requirements: 15 Attribute Points in Technical Ability
- Description: +10% to all cyberware stat modifiers. +40 Armor. Unlocks a new cyberware slot for the Skeleton. All Skeleton cyberware have boosted stats.
Further increasing the bonuses to Technical Ability is a grand idea for V as they further become a Night City Legend. With a License to Chrome perk active, players will have 3 perk points spent in one of the most essential perks yet due to its additional armor stat, cyberware slot for the Skeleton set, and more stat modifiers.
It’s always important to invest in chrome with a ripperdoc, regardless of how many eurodollars it will cost. License to Chrome will help players stay alive longer thanks to its free points in armor, and the new slot in the skeleton cyberware that allows for further bonuses to be explored.
11 Edgerunner
More Cyberware Capacity, Chance to Enter a Fury State for More Damage
- Attribute Tree: Technical Ability
- Requirements: 20 Attribute Points in Technical Ability
- Description: Exceed your Cyberware Capacity by up to 50 points at the cost of -0.5% Max Health per point. Neutralizing an enemy during combat provides a 0.1% chance for each point over capacity to enter Fury, gaining +10% damage, +30% Crit Chance, +50% Crit Damage for 12 seconds.
Edgerunner is a true investment due to the fact that it requires a maximum of 20 attribute points in Technical Ability, but is surely is worth it, and most builds will be completely dependent on it since it provides further bonuses to using cyberware.
Cyberware is a must if players want to survive Night City, as the extended amount of armor, health, healing potential, and damage, all give players the bonuses they need to come out on top. With Edgerunner, the more cyberware, the merrier, as entering the Fury cyberpsycho state provides great advantages to damage.
10 Painkiller
Allows Slow Health Regeneration In Combat
- Attribute Tree: Body
- Requirements: 4 Attribute Points in Body
- Description: Unlocks slow Health Regen in combat.
Once combat starts, players have nothing to heal them except for a few Health Items that will be placed on a cooldown once used. To stop that, and rely on a plan B, the Painkiller Perk is going to be a literal lifesaver. Painkiller unlocks Health Regen in combat, and whilst slow, it is still effective.
With this Perk active, players can stay behind cover and recover a tiny bit more health than they would without it. That health might be slower than a healing item, but it’s certainly going to stop that one extra bullet, or several.
9 Army Of One
Quicken Health Regeneration Depending On Nearby Enemies
- Attribute Tree: Body
- Requirements: Painkiller Perk
- Description: +10% Health Regen Rate for each nearby enemy.
Since players can’t have companions that aid them in battle, Army of One is going to be essential for them, since it will increase the Health Regen Rate by 10% for every enemy that is nearby. With most encounters featuring plenty of enemies, players can quickly receive their Health back in no time.
The main problem with this Perk comes from the fact that the players’ Health Regen Rate is going to falter once they start dropping bodies. Yet, by the time players have eliminated enough targets for that to happen, the threat should be minuscule at best.
8 Slippery
Become Harder To Shoot Whilst Moving
- Attribute Tree: Reflexes
- Requirements: 4 Attribute Points in Reflexes
- Description: The faster you move, the more difficult for enemies to shoot you. The effect increases when Dashing, dodging, sliding, sprinting, and vaulting.
Become like Neo with the Slippery Perk, which will encourage players to move around a bit more whilst in the middle of a gunfight. Players won’t want to stand still, as that just makes them an easy target for the overwhelming and difficult enemies that will plague them in Night City.
Instead, the Slippery Perk will make it so that the player is harder to shoot so long as they are agile enough to keep moving around. WIth a good aim, players will never have to keep their feet on the same spot, and plenty of bullets will fly by.
7 Muscle Memory
Reload Weapons While Sprinting
- Attribute Tree: Reflexes
- Requirements: Slippery Perk
- Description: Allows you to reload weapons while sprinting, sliding, and vaulting.
In most modern shooters, it’s a surprise to see that running cancels a reload. Luckily, the Muscle Memory Perk will bring that modern feel to Cyberpunk 2077, allowing V to always stay on the move since they can now reload whilst sprinting.
The ability to reload whilst committing to some agile movement heightens the combat, allowing V to become a legendary merc since nothing is stopping them from dealing with an empty magazine, not even the fact that they need to vault over obstacles.
6 Dash
-20% Stamina For Dodging And Dashing
- Attribute Tree: Reflexes
- Requirements: Slippery Perk and 9 Attribute Points in Reflexes
- Description: -20% stamina cost for dodging and dashing. Unlocks the ability to Dash.
Dashing is the future of combat, and this perk knows it. With the Dash Perk acquired, players are going to see improvements in movement speed during battles. Staying mobile and agile is key to winning gun fights and swinging melee weapons around, so players with a strong desire for combat are going to want to invest in this Reflex Perk.
The reduction in stamina cost for dodging is nice, but the fact that an extra Perk Point spent will replace the dodge ability with a dash makes it even better. Dashing will see players reach further distances, quicker, and with more chance for enemies to completely miss.
5 Carhacker
Hack Into Vehicles
- Attribute Tree: Intelligence
- Requirements: 4 Attribute Points in Intelligence
- Description: Unlocks Vehicle quickhacks, allowing you to remotely take control, set off alarms or even blow them up.
Hacking isn’t for everybody, especially when some players would prefer to slow time with a Sandevistan. Yet, for those with a desire for quickhack builds, a quick investment into the Intelligence tree will see great rewards. One of the first acquired Perks is the Carhacker, which will allow them to use quickhacks on vehicles themselves.
Since Update 2.0 introduced turrets to vehicles, Carhacker can be great fun for gang and police vehicles that have weapons attached, allowing V to turn these vehicles into death machines that do their bidding. On top of that, they can commit a surprising slaughter from a safe area due to the car being remote-controlled.
4 All Things Cyber
+10% Cyberware Modifiers, -20% Cyberware Capacity Costs
- Attribute Tree: Technical Ability
- Requirements: 9 Attribute Points in Technical Ability
- Description: +10% to all cyberware stat modifiers. -20% Cyberware Capacity cost for cyberware in the Integumentary System and Skeleton.
Cyberware is integral to the DNA of Night City and those who want to become the most powerful in Cyberpunk 2077. As such, it’s pretty vital to invest in Technical Ability and reach for All Things Cyber. With this Perk acquired, players are going to see a grand increase in Cyberware ability thanks to the 10% bonus to cyberware stats, and the whopping 20% decrease in Cyberware Capacity cost for the Integumentary System and Skeleton slots.
The Integumentary System and Skeleton cyberware slots are rather expensive to run for V, making it hard to handle. As such, this Perk will provide a bonus to make these cyberware modules easier to run without turning V into a cyberpsycho or limiting their full potential.
3 Chrome Constitution
-5% Incoming Damage For Filling Integumentary System And Skeleton Cyberware Slots
- Attribute Tree: Technical Ability
- Requirements: All Things Cyber Perk
- Description: -5% incoming damage if all Integumentary System and Skeleton cyberware slots are filled.
A permanent damage reduction and a reason to fully invest in the Integumentary System and Skeleton cyberware slots is always a great idea. Cyberware is a must-have for builds, and when players invest in new Chrome for V, they will instantly see the improvement. Whether it’s better armor or an additional set of traits, V can become a powerful cyberpsycho, one only further complimented by Chrome Constitution.
A 5% damage reduction doesn’t seem like the most impressive Perk, but that damage reduction may very well save their life when they need it most. It’s always a smart idea to invest in the Technical Ability Attribute tree, and this Perk is just the start.
2 Glutton For War
Recharge Health Items And Grenades Based On Enemies Neutralized
- Attribute Tree: Technical Ability
- Requirements: 4 Attribute Points in Technical Ability
- Description: 5% instant recharge of Health items and grenades after neutralizing an enemy.
Health items work differently after Update 2.0, and they are no longer one-time consumables. Instead, players will have a cooldown per use of a Health item and a grenade. As such, something like Glutton For War will truly complement their playstyle, as every single kill will grant 5% of their recharge meter into both Health items and grenades.
This means that within no time, players will have an additional option to heal, along with the ability to throw a devastating explosive. These two abilities are the standard to every playthrough, as not every encounter can be hacked or run through with stealth.
Move Faster While Crouched
- Attribute Tree: Cool
- Requirements: 4 Attribute Points in Cool
- Description: When crouched: +15% Movement Speed, +15 Mitigation Chance.
Many situations in Cyberpunk 2077 can be dealt with through stealth. Engaging in combat is not always a choice that players want, so the option to sneak around like a shadow makes Feline Footwork the perfect entry point. With this Perk in their hands, players will crouch 15% faster than normal.
It might not seem like a decent amount, but in practice, it makes a difference. Players will be able to sneak past enemies in tightly woven buildings filled with hostiles, and that little burst to speed might just save them from being exposed to a whole army of gang members.
