Of all the ways to survive and thrive in Night City, being a netrunner might be the most stylish. Unlike other criminals who rely on their fists or sword skills to prosper in Cyberpunk 2077, all you need is your own wits and some helpful cybernetic enhancements. Whether you’re hacking cameras, short-circuiting guns, or uploading viruses straight into your enemy’s head, you’ll be an unstoppable force. Between Attributes, Perks, cyberware, quickhacks, and gear, there’s a lot to think about, especially with the 2.0 update, but we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know to put together the best Cyberpunk 2.0 netrunner build.
Cyberpunk 2077 Netrunner Playstyle
The netrunner playstyle is different than that of other builds in Cyberpunk 2077. Rather than relying on being a good shot and having the newest, shiniest guns to carry you through fights, you’ll be relying on your cyberware and hacking to get the job done. This build emphasizes the use of quickhacks to take down enemies and maintain the element of surprise. To complement what you gain from Intelligence Perks, this build also utilizes the Cool and Technical Ability trees to maximize your stealth and hacking efficacy. The netrunner is no slouch in a fight, but you’re at your strongest when enemies never even get a chance to react. Always use your environment to your advantage.
Attributes
Easily the most important Attribute for any Cyberpunk 2.0 netrunner build is Intelligence, as that’s the Attribute that directly affects netrunning. Improving it will improve your Smart Weapon proficiency as well as give you access to a variety of important perks. Increasing Intelligence also increases your Max RAM by +1 per 4 Attribute Points. You’ll want to max out your Intelligence to 20 as soon as possible. That not only grants you +5 Max RAM but also top-tier perks only available to the smartest cyberrunners. This is the recommended prioritization for Attributes:
- Intelligence
- Technical Ability
- Cool
- Reflexes
- Body
Whereas Reflexes and Body are important Attributes for melee and gunslinging builds, they need to take a backseat when you’re playing a netrunner, especially in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0. Technical Ability will increase the amount of cyberware you can install and provide some important buffs to that cyberware. For a build that relies on tech as much as the netrunner, that’s crucial. Cool, though not essential, provides valuable stealth bonuses that will let you get in prime position for scans and hacks before battle. Make those changes to V, and Cyberpunk won’t be the only thing in its best shape yet.
Perks
Unsurprisingly, Intelligence Perks will be the most important for this build. The good news is, netrunner’s have a good degree of flexibility in Cyberpunk 2077‘s 2.0 update, so you aren’t locked into one optimal path. The best Perks in the Intelligence tree are, unsurprisingly, at the top, so you’ll want to dump as many points into this Attribute as you can. Once you have most or all of the Intelligence Perks unlocked you can start buying Technical Ability and Cool Perks. Alternatively, you can jump back and forth between Intelligence Perks and Technical Ability Perks, since the latter directly support Intelligence Perks anyway. The most important Intelligence Perks to grab are the following:
- Spillover
- Overclock
- Queue Mastery
- Queue Acceleration
- Optimization
- Encryption
- Subordination
- Embedded Exploit
- Shadowrunner
- Speculation
Used together, these Perks massively increase your Max RAM, RAM recovery speed, and quickhack efficacy. For an ordinary character who only dabbles in Intelligence Perks, quickhacking is comparable to grenades: a useful side weapon only. For the best netrunner build, quickhacking becomes your primary weapon in almost all instances. Even rival netrunners will struggle to keep up as you disable cameras, commandeer turrets, and blind and shortcircuit your enemies. Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 Update improves a lot of things, and one of them is how good it feels to own Night City as a netrunner.
Cyberware
Cyberware is at the heart of the best Cyberpunk 2.0 netrunner build, and not just because you might end up removing V’s heart and replacing it with cutting-edge circuitry. The 2.0 update dramatically changes how cyberware is handled, and it can take some getting used to. In short, V’s body has a limit of how much cyberware can be installed. To increase this limit, you need to put points into Technical Ability and its related Perks. That will unlock additional cyberware slots for you to play with. Fortunately, there are only one or two key areas you need to focus on as a cyberrunner, whether you’re just starting out or nearing the end.
Arguably the most important tool in a netrunner’s arsenal is a good operating system. You can get your operating system upgraded or replaced at one of Night City’s many ripperdocs, so always keep an eye out for these clinics. You never know what you might find in stocks. For this build, consider taking the Tetratronic Rippler Mk.4. This Tier 4 Cyberdeck offers a variety of benefits. In addition to being able to perform quickhacks while scanning, it offers the following benefits:
- +15% weapon damage against enemies affected by non-combat quickhacks
- +40 damage with combat quickhacks when immediately followed by a non-combat quickhack in the queue
- +5 Max RAM
Combine those perks with a long list of available quickhacks, and your enemies won’t know what hit them.
Netrunner Weapons
The 2.0 Update has rebalanced a number of things in Cyberpunk 2077, making combat more deadly, even for a talented netrunner. To make the most of this build, you’ll need to rely on your quickhacks and cyberware far more than your weapons, but that doesn’t mean that a weapon should be far from your fingertips. With the Phantom Liberty DLC releasing in just a few days, your weaponry options are about to expand even further. That said, there are a few things to look for when choosing a weapon for the best netrunner build.
Tech weapons work extremely well with Intelligence and Technical Ability builds in 2.0, so it’s advisable to start there. Though a tech shotgun can be great for shredding through enemies at close range, this build works better with a tech rifle such as the M-179E Achilles. Though lacking a quick rate of fire, the Achilles has a great effective range, solid handling, and potent headshot potential. Stay at a distance, rely on your quickhacks, and turn to the Achilles or another tech weapon in a pinch.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will be available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on September 26.
