Going high noon in the streets of Night City might sound like a rocker-boy thing to do but we all know that it's the hackers and computer whizzes behind the scene that actually get the job done. As it is, being a hacker in Cyberpunk 2077 might be a bit fiddly at first though, but it's not all rainbows and butterflies, especially at the beginning.
If done right though, a decent hacker in Cyberpunk 2077 can commit a massacre with but a mere look. Not many games let players be that kind of person, which is essentially a walking case of Final Destination. If that's what players want then look no further than this guide as it explains how to eliminate enemies in droves while V struts around Night City with a sparkly clean suit.
Updated August 16, 2022 by Sid Natividad: A lot has changed in Cyberpunk 2077 ever since update 1.5. A Cyberpunk 2077 hacker build is now more viable than ever despite some re-balancing. Hence, hackers get more options compared to the previous versions of the game.
Players will then be pleased to know that there's more wisdom to be gained in constructing their Cyberpunk hacker build. These additional tips will make the endeavor more appealing since hacking in Cyberpunk 2077 is still not as friendly as the usual guns-blazing playstyle.
15 In the Hacking Minigame, You Can Put Junk Combinations In The Queue
Breaching, or the standard netrunning procedure in Cyberpunk 2077, can get nerve-wracking at times, especially if there are multiple rewards. If players want to obtain all the rewards without locking themselves out of the small ones, then they can input some keys that don't unlock the reward.
What this does is put them closer to the right sequence of keys necessary if they want to obtain all the rewards. Players can rest assured that inputting trash or unnecessary keys (that are not part of any sequence) won't lock them out of any reward sequence. This is rather important for a Cyberpunk 2077 hacker build since there are some useful daemons and crafting materials in breaching.
14 Don't Sleep On Short Circuit
Contagion and Mass Suicide might look more angsty and effective as Quickhacks, but Short Circuit is often considered one of the most damaging combos in the game. Because the legendary version of Short Circuit will quickly ramp up its damage as long as players keep hitting enemies with critical damage.
Guns are effective here if players want to keep triggering Short Circuit's subsequent damage effects. In fact, in some scenarios, the Smart Weapon and Legendary Short Circuit combo can be more powerful than Contagion. On the plus side, players can use Short Circuit as a non-lethal option.
13 Don't Ignore The Cool Tree (Cold Blood)
It's easy to forego the rest of the skill tree and just focus on Intelligence (Quickhacks) when going hacker in Cyberpunk 2077. However, players will want to grab some relevant Cool Tree Perks. Cold Blood is the sub-tree section here as it has some perks related to Quickhacks. Make sure to grab those.
Moreover, Cold Blood itself pairs well with both Short Circuit and Contagion, as it will quickly ramp up damage if one enemy dies quicker than others. It also just so happens that there are tons of Critical damage-focused perks in the Cool perk tree and in the Cold Blood section. Those are very useful for Quickhacks with lots of damage pings.
12 Take Advantage Of Security Cameras
For a pure Cyberpunk hacker build that forgot to put points in Body and doesn't have much regard for personal safety, then security cameras are the answer. Because there are times when hackers can get cornered by a surprise enemy or a fast and resilient one. In scenarios like these, players will want to keep themselves hidden.
They'll still be able to strike in the shadows by leveraging security cameras. Players can even spread chaos without seeing the enemies directly with their eyes, as long as security cameras offer a good line of sight. But with Quickhacks like Contagion, hidden enemies aren't even an issue anymore.
11 Prioritize RAM
RAM is practically mana in Cyberpunk 2077 and hackers are the wizard class. Without RAM, players might as well be sitting ducks. There is a chance that certain hacks can fail or fizzle out against tougher opponents. That's why having the capability to cast these Quickhacks over and over again is always a good backup.
Thankfully, upgrading RAM capacity is almost a given in a Cyberpunk 2077 hacker build. Players will find tons of RAM upgrades along the way while they enhance their Quickhacks in the Quickhack tree. Early in their build, players might want to prioritize having as much RAM as possible so they can enjoy their hacker gameplay better.
10 Tough It Up In The Early Game
The thing about being a hacker in Cyberpunk 2077 is that it requires patience at the start. The trend here is the opposite of gunplay; whereas that one offers instant gratification at the very beginning, hacking's rewards don't come up until later on.
That's because a certain component is required for a hacker to truly shine and without that, they're mostly just going to be revealing enemy positions, blinding them, or disabling cameras. So don't throw away those guns or knives yet, they're mostly needed as backups.
9 Put All Points In Intelligence
This is also one of the reasons why being a hacker sets players off to a difficult start. All points must absolutely go to Intelligence. Even if it looks like allocating a point of two in Reflexes can help since there's no gear to let you take advantage of high intelligence yet, it's crucial to have some discipline.
That also means catering to a certain pacifistic or stealthy playstyle. Avoiding unnecessary trouble or encounters is vital because players don't have much health or direct fighting skills. Again, the payoff is worth it so just be smart with your interactions.
8 Get A Legendary Hacking Rig
Now comes the fun part, acquiring a Legendary Hacking Rig or Cyberdeck. This is where all the points you put in Intelligence pay off. Do note that equipping a Legendary Cyberdeck also requires a Street Cred of 14 but that shouldn't be much of a problem.
As for which Legendary Cyberdeck to get? Two options stand out, the Netwatch Netdriver and the Tetratronic Rippler. Both allow for Quickhack mods to be quicker and the first one is better for making Quickhack effects spread like wildfire to enemies. The Tetratronic Rippler is good as a cheaper option and is easier to acquire. Just keep going back to Ripperdocs until one of them has one.
7 Make A Habit Of Jacking Into Access Points
For the actual hacking training, no other activity serves as a better practice than desecrating Access Points. They're all spread throughout Night City and players shouldn't pass up an opportunity to tamper with any they see out in the open.
These are goldmines looking to get cracked as some Access Points not only contain money but also mods. If they're lucky, players might even land themselves some Legendary mods or components to craft one. If anything, they also serve to familiarize the players with hacking.
6 Grab The Right Breach Protocol Perks
Breach Protocol in the perks tab might sound secondary to the more impactful Quickhacks but they're useful enough for when players find themselves blocked by a stubborn door. Mass Vulnerability is a good one.
Another would be Datamine or Headstart. In general, players don't really need most of the other options in Breach Protocols as the aspect that puts the "over" in overpowered hacker lies in the Quickhacks section so be conservative with your points when dabbling with Breach Protocol.
5 Grab The Right Quickhack Perks
Here's what makes the hacking discipline in Cyberpunk 2077 a little busted. The Quickhack perks are all mostly good or even crucial depending on your Cyberdeck. Here's the priority list of which Quickhack perks to obtain:
- Bloodware (more damage)
- Mnemonic (for saving up RAM)
- Critical Error (for Crit Rate on Quickhacks)
- Subliminal Message (for stealth hackers)
- Plague (absolutely broken and necessary)
- Crafting (also a key perk for crafting mods)
4 Get A Legendary Ping Mod
Quickhack perks would be nothing without the actual Quickhacks. These are your bread and butter in Cyberpunk 2077 as an overpowered hacker. Truth be told, you don't need much. A few key mods will do. Make sure one of them is a Ping mod.
Better yet, make sure it's a Legendary Ping Mod. This lets you assess and determine which threats are worth prioritizing in a building. More than anything, it allows V to be situationally aware, which is priceless when it comes to stealth runs. Getting it is easy, thankfully, and only needs the Bartmoss' Legacy perk.
3 Get A Legendary Contagion Mod
For those who have the Legendary Cyberdecks mentioned above, this is probably the most absurd mod available. It's essentially a silent poison spell that spreads to enemies. With the right perk and Cyberdeck combination, Contagion lets players clear out whole buildings faster than guns can.
The Legendary version is even more helpful as it lets the Quickhack jump an additional time to an enemy. The catch is that it only works on enemies who are vulnerable to Chemical damage. Truth be told, that's not much of a downside. Unlock this one by getting the Bartmoss' Legack perk.
2 Get A Legendary Suicide Mod
Contagion can be non-lethal so if players want a full measure instead, they can opt to use the Suicide mod. It's lethal and forces the target to commit suicide. It's also effective when used against a clustered group of enemies.
The Legendary version of the mod is even crueler as it lets players kill any panicked (those who have seen their dead comrades) enemy at a cheaper RAM cost. Crafting specs for this one are automatically unlocked after acquiring the Bartmoss Legacy perk.
1 Non-Lethal Alternatives
Suicide might be a little too much and Contagion might be a little too limited to organic enemies. Hence, some Quickhacking alternatives are always welcome. If you have space then Short Circuit or System Reset are awesome additions.
Short Circuit is useful for dealing with robots and System Reset is a good way to knock a target unconscious. They're not necessary though and are mostly there for ensuring good karma, which is a rare sight in Night City nowadays.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, and Google Stadia.