Cyberpunk 2077: Broken Builds That Are A Lot Of Fun

Cyberpunk 2077

By Aldous Foster

Updated Jun 10, 2024

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Cyberpunk 2077

Highlights

Cyberpunk 2077 's Phantom Liberty update meant a complete overhaul of the perk system, massively improving the variety and power of builds.
Players can take any build they like through the game, but some will excel more than others, especially on harder difficulties.
The best builds combine Cyberware, Perks, Relic abilities, and Weaponry to create a synergistic explosion of chaos.

Apart from being one of the best examples of Raytracing in a video game, Cyberpunk 2077 also excels in its gameplay department. As an RPG, it presents players with a vast selection of gameplay styles. It can even rival Elder Scrolls games when it comes to build variety. The beauty of games that have such a gameplay structure is that it allows players to create some breathtaking builds.

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Cyberpunk 2077 is no stranger to overpowered builds because of what the developers allowed and what the players could tinker with. So, regardless of how many playthroughs they have had, gamers will find great strength in these builds and can said power to take on a megacorporation like Arasaka.

Updated June 10, 2024, by Aldous Foster: The Phantom Liberty expansion completely changed the perk system in Cyberpunk 2077, meaning that players will want to read on to find out which perks are now the best fit for each of these powerful builds. With new perks, these builds have also become even more powerful, allowing players to do things they never could before. Phantom Liberty also introduced new gear and cyberware, as well as Relic Perks, which provide major changes to the gameplay loop of certain builds. With all these changes, players can look forward to tearing through even MaxTac with ease.

11 David Sandevistan

An Explosion Of Metal Fists While Frozen In Time

Gorilla Arms animation in Cyberpunk 2077

Weapon	Gorilla Arms HJKE-11 Yukimura Weapon pistol
Armor	Any armor or armor mod with Crit Chance and Crit Damage
Cyberdeck	Qiant Sandevistan Mk.4 Kerenzikov Nanorelays Syn-Lungs Reinforced Tendons Subdermal Armor Heatsink Bioconductor
Stat Allocation	Reflexes - 20 Body - 20
Best Perks	Body Perks Dorph-Head: Easy Damage Resistance Adrenaline Rush: Adrenaline is extra health and more Pain to Gain: More healing Clapback: Makes counterattacks great at crowd control Quake and Epicentre: Great fun and great damage Kinetic Absorption: Blocking gives extra damage Breakthrough: Strong attacks weaken enemies Reflexes Perks Slippery: Enemies cannot kill what they cannot hit Dash and Air Dash: Great mobility Can't Touch This: Damage resist while dodging Flash and Thunderclap: Close the gap with a melee attack
Relic Perks	Jailbreak Limiter Removal
Quickhacks	N/A

This Sandevistan build is quite similar to the Sandevistan Samurai, except it puts more focus on the Brawler perk tree, turning David into a maelstrom of punches with lighting quick movements thanks to Sandevistan. Also, players can further reduce Sandevistan's cooldown with Heatsink and Bioconductor upgrades. When not relying on Sandevistan, some of the perks allow the build to move faster, and certain neural implants like the Kerenzikov act as a backup. This also slows down time for the players in the same manner as the Sandevistan but with more focus on ranged combat.

Gorilla Arms are extremely strong, especially with some Blunt Perks. When the whole build comes together, players will find themselves completely forgetting about ranged weapons as they speed around the map with high health and damage resistance, smashing entire groups of enemies.

10 Rebecca Shotgun

Shotgun Blasts And Explosions Galore

Weapon	Guts (custom Power Shotgun) Projectile Launcher/ Gorilla Arms M-76e Omaha
Armor	Any armor or armor mod with Crit Chance and Crit Damage
Cyberdeck	Militech Berserk Mk. 5 Heal-On-Kill Mechatronic Core Biomonitor Bioconductor Second Heart Kerenzikov Subdermal Armor Smart Link
Stat Allocation	Technical - 20 Body - 20
Best Perks	Body Perks Dorph-Head: Easy Damage Resistance Adrenaline Rush: Adrenaline is extra health and more Pain to Gain: More healing Like a Feather: Faster movement with shotguns DIE! DIE! DIE!: Better weapon control Spontaneous Obliteration: Insta-kill low-health enemies Rip and Tear: Shotgun and melee is a match made in heaven Tech Perks Pyromania: Movement speed and grenade damage Burn This City: More grenades Ticking Time Bomb: A massive explosion after activating Berserk Doomlauncher: Improved Projectile Launcher
Relic Perks	Jailbreak Limiter Removal Launch Capacity Override
Quickhacks	N/A

Similar to the Carnage Shotgun build, this build, which is aptly named Rebecca, focuses on giving her as much buckshot power as possible with her own in-game shotgun, Guts. Sadly, there's no shotgun dual-wielding in Cyberpunk 2077, so players can't quite copy how Rebecca would be behaving in combat. Still, it's quite a broken alternative.

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Players can just run up to enemies thanks to the Kerenzikov implant and then blast said enemies in the face, steamrolling through all targets like a meat grinder, with blood and guts flying all over. The gameplay is rather simple. There's no need for tricks, as the shotgun Body Perks will do most of the work. Once players have unlocked all those perks, they can put some points into the tech tree so they can add some grenades into their mix of chaos.

9 Cyber Demon/Lucy Monowire

Hack Enemies Then Hack Them Apart

Weapon	Monowire
Armor	Any armor or armor mod with Crit Chance and Crit Damage
Cyberdeck	Netwatch Netdrive Mk.5 Optical Camo Kerenzikov Maneuvering System Bioconductor
Stat Allocation	Intelligence - 20 Reflex - 20 Cool - 20
Best Perks	Intelligence Perks Overclock: More hacks at the cost of health Spillover: Spread effects to entire groups Race Against Mind: Increased Quickhack damage Siphon: Monowire attacks grand RAM Finisher: Live Wire: Instantly kill low-health enemies to replenish health and RAM Reflex Perks Slippery: Harder to hit while moving Dash and Air Dash: Better mobility during combat Cool Perks Ninjutsu: Fast stealth Quick Getaway: Faster movement after stealth kills Gag Order: Easier stealth attacks
Relic Perks	Jailbreak Data Tunneling Vulnerability Analytics
Quickhacks	Short Circuit Overheat Contagion Suicide Cripple Movement Cyberpsychosis

This Lucy build is similar to the Netgun and Gun hacker build, but it ditches the Smart weapon for something more up-close and personal: the Monowire. Players will want to maximize their Intelligence to boost its damage and ability to spread Quickhacks, allowing it to take out entire groups of enemies.

Players will be prioritizing perks such as Siphon and Finisher: Live Wire. In combat, they'll open up with Quickhacks such as Ping, then Contagion, and then Short Circuit or Overheat, depending on the enemy's proximity. Those that get close enough will be ripped to shreds by the Monowire. Players can also put some points into Cool to allow them to get close and personal through stealth.

8 Street Brawler

Sometimes A Simple Blunt Weapon Is The Most Elegant Solution

Weapons	Cottonmouth Gold-Plated Spiked Bat
Armor	Any armor with high rating and high crit damage and chance
Cyberdeck	Zetatech Berserk Mk. 5 Beast Mode Second Heart Subdermal Armor Heal-On-Kill Syn-Lungs
Stat Allocation	20 Body 20 Reflexes Extra into Tech and Body
Best Perks	Body Perks Dorph-Head: Easy Damage Resistance Adrenaline Rush: Adrenaline is extra health and more Pain to Gain: More healing Clapback: Makes counterattacks great at crowd control Quake and Epicentre: Great fun and great damage Kinetic Absorption: Blocking gives extra damage Breakthrough: Strong attacks weaken enemies Reflexes Perks Slippery: Enemies cannot kill what they cannot hit Dash and Air Dash: Great mobility Can't Touch This: Damage resist while dodging Flash and Thunderclap: Close the gap with a melee attack Tech Perks License to Chrome: More armor and Cyberware Borrowed Time: Healing when close to death
Relic Perks	Vulnerability Analytics Machine Learning
Quickhacks	N/A

For anyone who thrives off risky playstyles and being up close and personal, the blunt weapons of the Street Brawler are an excellent choice. This approach can deal massive damage to single targets, while its toughness and ability to stun enemies keep it alive. Although there are not a great many unique weapons to use, even using a simple hammer or bat becomes incredibly fun with this build.

The simplicity of running directly at enemies and bonking them on the head with a pipe is strangely beautiful and has no right to be as strong as it is. This build also has the added bonus of being non-lethal, keeping enemies such as Cyberpsychos alive. However, as the game is quick to inform players, the pure damage and brutality of blunt weapons will quickly make them wish they weren't.

7 Tech Weapons Specialist

Charge Up Blasts From Miles Away

Weapons	Achilles Widowmaker Breakthrough Chaos Comrade's Hammer Raiju
Armor	High crit damage
Cyberdeck	Qiant Sandevistan Mk.4 Kerenzikov Nanorelays Kiroshi Optics Mk.3 Mechatronic Core Subdermal Armor Heal-On-Kill
Stat Allocation	20 Technical 20 Cool Extra into Body for survivability
Best Perks	Tech Perks Bolt: Fast and powerful charge shots In Charge: No more accidental releases Chain Lightning: Spreads lightning from charge shots Lucky Day: Easier crafting Cool Perks Focus: More headshot damage and less stamina cost Head to Head and No Sweat: These perks improve focus Deadeye: Even more weakspot damage while at high stamina Nerves of Tungsten-Steel: Higher damage the farther from enemies
Relic Perks	Vulnerability Analytics Machine Learning
Quickhacks	N/A

Players looking to create the highest ranged damage build ever seen may want to consider the Technical Specialist. These characters can charge up their tech weapons to deal absolutely ridiculous amounts of damage with a single shot. This build is also quite variable as it can be used with rifles, pistols, revolvers, or snipers. Whichever the player picks, these perks and Cyberware will allow them to kill enemies from any distance and position.

High Technical investment also means that the player will be able to craft anything they want and will have an easy way to make money in the early game. With a sniper such as Breakthrough and these perks, players can take out almost every enemy in the game with a single shot.

6 Crit Headshot Power

Spray SMG Bullets All Over The Map

Amassing Lots Of Headshots With The Problem Solver In Cyberpunk 2077

Weapon	Silenced Moron Labe Silenced Dying Night Silenced Death and Taxes
Armor	Any armor or armor mod that increases Crit Chance or Crit Damage
Cyberdeck	Qiant Sandevistan Mk.4 Kerenzikov Nanorelays Kiroshi Optics Mk.3 Mechatronic Core Microgenerator Heal-On-Kill Optical Camo Subdermal Armor Heatsink Bioconductor
Stat Allocation	20 Reflexes 20 Cool Extra into Body for survivability
Best Perks	Reflexes Perks Sharpshooter: Better weapon control Practice Makes Perfect: Higher crit chance and damage Submachine Gun Fun: Swapping SMGs reloads them and boosts fire rate Salt in the Wound: Focusing on one target causes massive damage boosts Cool Perks Focus: Increased accuracy and weakspot damage Pull: There is nothing more fun than shooting grenades out of the air Run 'n Gun: Improved hip fire and movement Deadeye: Massive weakspot damage increases Nerves of Tungsten Steel: Guaranteed headshot crital hits
Relic Perks	Vulnerability Analytics Machine Learning
Quickhacks	N/A

For those who want something a little less thematic and more conventional, the so-called Crit Headshot build from creator T7 PDM will more than satisfy them. It takes advantage of the Optical Camo and the Kerenzikov or Sandevistan to slow down time and allow players to headshot just about all the enemies in an encounter.

Due to the perk and Crit stacking, 900 percent Crit Damage and even a 100 percent Crit change are possible. Players just need to make sure that they enter combat with Sandevistan and a headshot (preferably under stealth with a silenced gun). This will kick off a chain of buffs that will make subsequent headshots deadlier and easier to perform.

5 Contagion

Spread Quickhacks And Burn Damage Like A Disease

Weapon	Shingen Mark V Erebus Any
Armor	Any
Cyberdeck	Tetratronic Rippler Mk.4 Implants that increase RAM cooldown Implants that spread Quickhacks
Stat Allocation	20 Intelligence 20 Technical Extra into Body for survivability
Best Perks	Intelligence Perks Hack Queue: Crucial for getting multiple hacks on each target Queue Acceleration: Makes multihacks faster Queue Mastery: Longer queues and more damage System Overwhelm: Improved quickhack damage based on DOTs Embedded Exploit: Start with a control hack to boost damage massively Overclock and Race Against Mind: Great quickhack damage when at low health Spillover: Spread hacks Technical Perks All Things Cyber: Improved Cyberware Edgerunner: More Cyberware and Fury
Relic Perks	Vulnerability Analytics Emergency Cloaking
Quickhacks	Contagion Short Circuit Breach Protocol Ping Reboot Optics Suicide

Contagion, or poison hackers, were all the rage before update 1.5 due to their effortless killing prowess. Fans of the old build will be pleased to know, however, that Contagion is still overpowered. It just went from a scale of 11 to 10 because of the balance changes in patch 1.5. The gameplay is still the same. Players start with Breach Protocol, then Ping, and then Contagion against squads of enemies. After that, it's time to sit back and watch their health get drained collectively.

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Against single-targets, Short Circuit or Suicide works well. Cameras are also great here, as they let players stay hidden. The weapons this build uses are also incredibly powerful. Players can use Erebus if they want to hear enemies scream as the Blackwall consumes them, but Shingen Mark V is the best option here as it spreads explosions among the affected enemies, clearing entire groups in seconds.

4 Stealth Pistol

A Smooth Sneak Build That Encourages Headshots

Weapon	Her Majesty Pride Silencer mod on any pistol Sniper (for backup)
Armor	Any armor or armor mod that increases Crit Chance or Crit Damage
Cyberdeck	Limbic System Enhancement Synaptic Accelerator Trajectory Analysis
Stat Allocation	20 Cool 20 Reflexes Extra into Intelligence and Body
Best Perks	Reflexes Perks Sharpshooter: Better weapon control Practice Makes Perfect: Higher crit chance and damage Submachine Gun Fun: Swapping SMGs reloads them and boosts fire rate Salt in the Wound: Focusing on one target causes massive damage boost Cool Perks Focus: Increased accuracy and weakspot damage Pull: There is nothing more fun than shooting grenades out of the air Run 'n Gun: Improved hip fire and movement Deadeye: Massive weakspot damage increases Nerves of Tungsten Steel: Guaranteed headshot critical hits Intelligence Perks Eye in the Sky: Easier avoidance of cameras and hacking Warning: Explosion Hazard: Improved distractions
Relic Perks	Vulnerability Analytics Emergency Cloaking Sensory Protocol
Quickhacks	Breach Protocol Ping Reboot Optics Whistle

For the premier stealth build in Cyberpunk 2077, players need not look any further than this one. It functions like a hitman who uses silenced pistols or revolvers to shoot enemies at the back of their heads. This does require some tactical skill, positioning, and a bit of patience, but it's very slick and savvy.

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To make sneaking more smooth, players can take advantage of the Big Sleep daemon, which shuts down all cameras in an area. After that, it's a matter of picking off enemies one by one. Players just need to make sure to land headshots all the time.

3 Berserk Shotgun

Tear Through Enemies With A Hail Of Shotgun Pellets

Fighting Mower With A Shotgun In Cyberpunk 2077

Weapon	Alabai Ba Xing Chong
Armor	Any armor or armor mod with Crit Chance and Crit Damage
Cyberdeck	Moore Tech Berserk Mk.3 Synaptic Accelerator Kerenzikov Subdermal Armor
Stat Allocation	20 Body 20 Technical
Best Perks	Body Perks Dorph-Head: Easy Damage Resistance Adrenaline Rush: Adrenaline is extra health and more Pain to Gain: More healing Like a Feather: Faster movement with shotguns DIE! DIE! DIE!: Better weapon control Spontaneous Obliteration: Insta-kill low health enemies Rip and Tear: Shotgun and melee is a match made in heaven Tech Perks Pyromania: Movement speed and grenade damage Burn This City: More grenades Ticking Time Bomb: A massive explosion after activating Berserk Bolt: Charged Shots with Tech Shotguns Chain Lightning: Spread damage Reflex Perks Slippery: Avoid ranged attacks while closing the gap Dash and Air Dash: Dodging attacks to counter with a shotgun blast to the face
Relic Perks	Vulnerability Analytics Machine Learning
Quickhacks	N/A

For those looking for a more straightforward mode of gameplay, then this build will more than satisfy anyone's bloodlust. The idea is simple; players just walk up to enemy groups and rip out a fat and healthy volley of shotgun pellets.

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All the passive and triggered effects from the Body perk tree will ensure that players tank hits well and deal so much damage that enemies will not have a chance to respond. Reflex also allows players to close the gap and avoid any pesky snipers. Players can also use smart shotguns for a bit less damage but even less aiming required.

2 Netrun & Gun

Attack The Mind With Hacks And The Body With Bullets

Weapon	Yinglong Erebus Hercules 3AX Pistol with a silencer
Armor	Any armor or armor mod with Crit Chance and Crit Damage
Cyberdeck	Netwatch Netdrive Mk.5 Smart Link Cyberware Limbic System Enhancement Visual Cortex Support Threat Detector Mod
Stat Allocation	20 Reflexes 20 Cool 20 Intelligence
Best Perks	Reflexes Perks Sharpshooter: Better weapon control Practice Makes Perfect: Higher crit chance and damage Submachine Gun Fun: Swapping SMGs reloads them and boosts fire rate Salt in the Wound: Focusing on one target causes massive damage boost Slippery: Avoid ranged attacks while closing the gap Dash and Air Dash: Dodging attacks and speeding around the map Cool Perks Focus: Increased accuracy and weakspot damage Run 'n Gun: Improved hip fire and movement Nerves of Tungsten Steel: Guaranteed headshot crital hits Intelligence Perks: Hack Queue: Crucial for getting multiple hacks on each target Queue Acceleration: Makes multihacks faster Queue Mastery: Longer queues and more damage Acquisition Specialist: Improved lock-on with Smart weapons Target Lock Transfer: Improved aiming and weapon swap Targeting Prism: Allows lock-on for multiple enemies
Relic Perks	Vulnerability Analytics Machine Learning Emergency Cloaking
Quickhacks	Short Circuit

This build is the perfect compromise for those who still want to shoot enemies and hack but don't want their overall damage output getting neutered. It's all thanks to the Short Circuit quickhack. The Legendary version of this quickhack deals massive damage, which rises even further if the enemies get hit with a Crit attack.

Aerondight Guinevere car, Female V wielding gun in Cyberpunk 2077

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Paired with weapons that shoot fast and many rounds (such as Smart weapons), the Short Circuit will make short work of any enemy. Smart weapons also pair well as they scale with Intelligence and allow players to speed around without bothering with boring ideas like aiming.

1 Sandevistan Samurai

Decimate Frozen Enemies With Steel

Character holding a sword in Cyberpunk 2077

Weapon	Jinchu Maru Byakko Knives
Armor	Any armor or armor mod with Crit Chance and Crit Damage
Cyberdeck	Qiant Sandevistan Mk.4 Synaptic Accelerator Kerenzikov Subdermal Armor
Stat Allocation	20 Reflexes 20 Body 20 Cool
Best Perks	Body Perks Dorph-Head: Easy Damage Resistance Adrenaline Rush: Adrenaline is extra health and more Pain to Gain: More healing Clapback: Makes counterattacks great at crowd control Cool Perks Ninjutsu: Fast stealth Quick Getaway: Faster movement after stealth kills Gag Order: Easier stealth attacks Reflex Perks Slippery: Given how fast the player is moving, they are unlikely to get hit at all Dash and Air Dash: Pretty much crucial for this type of build Bullet Deflect: Blocking bullets sends them back Flash of Steel: Extra speed and damage after a finisher Slaughterhouse: Added bleed damage to pretty much everything the player does
Relic Perks	Vulnerability Analytics Machine Learning
Quickhacks	N/A

There is nothing quite like cutting enemies to ribbons with a katana. For added spice, players can change things up by throwing knives or axes at their enemies' heads before switching to their katana. Throwing the knife can inflict poisons and keep the player in stealth.

To make the most out of this build, players can use Sandevistan to slow down time, while they'll move faster from all the passives they took. It's a shame players can't view their actions in real-time, because a juiced-up samurai zipping through enemies at lightning speed ought to make Cyberpsychos look meek.