Cyberpunk 2077 Character Creation Guide | Phantom Liberty Expansion

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Cyberpunk 2077 has a new expansion pack, the Phantom Liberty expansion, adding to the game’s already big landscape. With the new expansion pack, the game has crafted a complex and immersive character customization system that allows you to shape your protagonist, V, in various ways. Your choices in character creation, including Lifepath, Appearance, and Attributes, will significantly impact your gameplay experience and how you interact with the vibrant world of Cyberpunk 2077.

In this guide, we’ll dive deep into every aspect of character creation, exploring the Lifepath options, attributes, and the unique character builds you can create to conquer Night City.

Lifepath

At the heart of the character creation of Cyberpunk 2077 is the Lifepath system, offering players three distinct backgrounds for V. The Lifepath you choose will shape V’s backstory and motivations during the game. These are the available Lifepaths you can pick from:

1. Nomad: Raised in a nomadic clan, you possess qualities like honesty, integrity, and a love of freedom. Your journey begins in the Badlands, but your path will lead you to the neon-drenched streets of Night City.
2. Corpo: You’ve navigated the cutthroat corporate world, bending the rules, exploiting secrets, and weaponizing information. Only a few leave the corporate life with their souls still intact, and now you’ve severed those ties to join the chaos of Night City.
3. Streetkid: Born and raised in the dangerous streets of Night City, you have experienced the city’s lawless nature firsthand, where the weak serve the strong.

Attributes and Perks: Building Your Playstyle

Cyberpunk 2077 features a robust attribute system that influences your character’s abilities and playstyle. There are five primary attributes: Body, Intelligence, Reflexes, Technical Ability, and Cool. You start with 7 points to allocate among these attributes, with a maximum cap of 6 for any single attribute. As you level up, you’ll gain more points to further customize your character.

Let’s delve into each attribute:

1. Body: This attribute controls your physical capabilities, including health, melee, and carrying capacity. Associated perks also include Annihilation, Athletics, and Street Brawler.
2. Intelligence: High Intelligence enhances your hacking abilities, allowing you to manipulate technology and access hidden information. Perks include Device Hacking and Target Hacking.
3. Reflexes: Reflexes improve your precision with weapons and influence your driving skills. Perks associated with Reflexes include Blades, Handguns, and Rifles.
4. Technical Ability: This attribute determines your effectiveness with tech and equipment, including crafting and looting items. Perks of this ability also include Craft and Engineering.
5. Cool: Cool affects your character’s stealth, intimidation, and resistance to stress. It also influences your critical hit effectiveness during battle. Perks associated with Cool are Cold Blood and Stealth.

Perks are the foundation of your playstyle in Cyberpunk 2077. They come in two forms: major perks, which offer unique abilities, and additional perks, which provide passive upgrades. You can acquire perks using skill points gained through leveling up, reaching specific playstyle thresholds, or finding skill shards as loot.

Character Builds

With a solid understanding of the attributes and perks, you can craft unique character builds that suit your playstyle. Here, we’ll explore example character builds based on primary attributes.

Body Character Builds

Let’s explore the Body-centric character builds in Cyberpunk 2077 in greater detail. The Body attribute in the game is closely linked to physical prowess, strength, and endurance. Characters who prioritize their Body attribute can evolve into melee combatants or resilient tanks. Here, we’ll delve into four distinctive character builds that emphasize the Body attribute and cater to various playstyles:

Adrenaline Junkie

The Adrenaline Junkie build centers around optimizing the Adrenaline Rush mechanic, transforming V into an almost invincible force on the battlefield. This build thrives in close and mid-range combat scenarios, relying mostly on high damage output and health regeneration. This build mainly uses Shotguns and LMGs as their main weapon of choice.

Perks:

• Painkiller (4 Body)
• Adrenaline Rush (15 Body)
• Pain to Gain (20 Body)
• Spontaneous Obliteration (15 Body)

Additional Perks:

• Calm Mind (15 Body)
• Juggernaut (15 Body)
• Bloodlust (15 Body)

Maximum Gorilla

The Maximum Gorilla build is all about brute force and battlefield control. V utilizes their strength to subdue and eliminate enemies on the battlefield, excelling in close-quarters combat. We recommend you use Gorilla Arms or blunt weapons for this build.

Perks:

• Painkiller (4 Body)
• Wrecking Ball (9 Body)
• Quake (15 Body)
• Finisher: Savage Sling (20 Body)

Additional Perks:

• Clapback (9 Body)
• Aftershock (15 Body)
• Ripple Effect (15 Body

Carnage Incarnate

The Carnage Incarnate build is all about unleashing devastation with unmatched speed onto your enemies. If you thrive on the thrill of high-speed, close-range combat and revel in showering the battlefield with carnage, this monstrous build is for you. This build also uses a shotgun like the Adrenaline Junkie.

Perks:

• Die! Die! Die! (9 Body)
• Spontaneous Obliteration (15 Body)
• Rip and Tear (20 Body)
• Painkiller (4 Body)
• Slippery (4 Reflexes)
• Dash (9 Reflexes)

Additional Perks:

• Bullet Ballet (9 Body)
• Don’t Stop Me Now (9 Body)
• Like a Feather (9 Body)
• Skullcracker (15 Body)
• Close-Quarters Carnage (15 Body)
• Rush of Blood (15 Body)
• Muscle Memory (4 Reflexes)
• Can’t Touch This (9 Reflexes)
• Steady Grip (9 Reflexes)
• Mean Streak (9 Reflexes)
• Mad Dash (9 Reflexes)

Reflexes Character Builds

The Reflexes attribute tree is all about agility, speed, and ranged combat proficiency. If you prefer agile and precise gameplay, these character builds are your ticket to success.

The Real Samurai

This build prioritizes speed and exploits every available technique in the arsenal of an honorable swordsman, or perhaps not-so-honorable, depending on your perspective. Like a ‘Real Samurai,’ this build uses a Katana, making its playstyle very straightforward: aggressive and close-range.

Perks:

• Slippery (4 Reflexes)
• Dash (9 Reflexes)
• Lead and Steel (9 Reflexes)
• Finisher: Bladerunner (15 Reflexes)
• Slaughterhouse (20 Reflexes)

Additional Perks:

• Seeing Double (9 Reflexes)
• Mad Dash (9 Reflexes)
• Flash and Thunderclap (9 Reflexes)
• Bullet Deflect (9 Reflexes)
• Can’t Touch This (9 Reflexes)
• Opportunist (15 Reflexes)

The Mad Dasher

This build leverages Reflexes’ mobility perks, allowing you to traverse complex battlefields effortlessly while making it challenging for enemies to land hits. This build uses Assault rifles and SMGs—a mid-range playstyle, unlike The Real Samurai.

Perks:

• Slippery (4 Reflexes
• Dash (9 Reflexes
• Air Dash (15 Reflexes)
• Tailwind (20 Reflexes)
• Submachine Fun (20 Reflexes)

Additional Perks:

• Power Slide (4 Reflexes)
• Can’t Touch This (9 Reflexes)
• Aerodynamic (15 Reflexes)
• Aerial Combat (15 Reflexes)
• Mind Over Matter (9 Reflexes)
• Gundancer (15 Reflexes)
• Practice Makes Perfect (15 Reflexes)

Behind Cover Cop

The Behind Cover Cop build is for players who love tactical precision. This build is designed for those who wish to dominate the battlefield from secure positions using assault rifles while unleashing high-powered grenades. This straightforward yet highly effective build transforms Cyberpunk 2077 into a more traditional first-person shooter experience, complete with calculated maneuvers and devastating firepower.

Perks:

• Ready, Rested, Reloaded (9 Reflexes)
• Sharpshooter (15 Reflexes)
• Salt in the Wound (20 Reflexes)
• Glutton for War (4 Technical Ability)
• Health Freak (9 Technical Ability
• Pyromania (15 Technical Ability)

Additional Perks:

• Tunnel Vision (9 Reflexes)
• Mind Over Matter (9 Reflexes
• Shoot to Chill (15 Reflexes)
• Practice Makes Perfect (15 Reflexes)
• Demolition Surplus (9 Technical Ability)
• Coming in Hot (9 Technical Ability
• Burn This City (15 Technical Ability)

Technical Ability Character Builds

The Technical Ability will transform your character into either a cybernetic powerhouse or a precision marksman. Whether you prefer to dominate your foes in close combat or eliminate them from afar with precise shots, these builds will help you craft a formidable character tailored to your preferred playstyle.

Gundamned

This build centers on augmenting your cyberware capabilities to the maximum, bestowing you with formidable armor and unmatched cyberware abilities. Mantis blades are your chosen weapon to turn enemies into scrap metal. However, be prepared to invest both time and money into this chrome-infused monstrosity.

Perks:

• All Things Cyber (9 Technical Ability)
• License to Chrome (15 Technical Ability)
• Edgerunner (20 Technical Ability)
• Lead and Steel (9 Reflexes)
• Finisher: Bladerunner (15 Reflexes)

Additional Perks:

• Renaissance Punk (9 Technical Ability)
• Chrome Constitution (9 Technical Ability)
• Driver Update (9 Technical Ability)
• Cyborg (15 Technical Ability)
• Bullet Deflect (9 Reflexes)
• Painkiller (4 Body)

Lightning American

This build relies on tech weapon perks to unleash devastating shots that eliminate foes with surgical precision. With the right aim, you’ll electrify your enemies and control the battlefield from a distance.

• Playstyle: High Damage, Battlefield Control, Long Range
• Recommended Weapons: Tech Precision Rifles

Perks:

• Bolt (15 Technical Ability)
• Chain Lightning (20 Technical Ability)
• Focus (9 Cool)
• Deadeye (15 Cool)
• Nerves of Tungsten Steel (20 Cool)

Additional Perks:

• Lightning Storm (15 Technical Ability)
• Shock Value (15 Technical Ability)
• Head to Head (9 Cool)
• Deep Breath (9 Cool
• Long Shot (15 Cool)
• High Noon (15 Cool)

Cool Character Builds

If you’re drawn to precise, one-shot kills or the art of stealth, then Cool perks are your best ally. In this guide, we present two distinctive character builds that harness the potential of Cool perks, allowing you to play as the “Pale Rider” or the “Phantom Liberator.” Whether you favor revolvers for mid-range combat or knives and axes for stealthy assassinations, these builds will ensure your enemies never see you coming.

Pale Rider

Pale Rider revolves around delivering devastating headshots with your trusty revolver. This build incorporates mobility-based perks to enable quick repositioning for precise shots, whether you’re aiming down sights or firing from the hip.

Perks:

• Focus (9 Cool)
• Deadeye (15 Cool)
• Nerves of Tungsten Steel (20 Cool)
• Dash (9 Reflexes)

Additional Perks:

• Head to Head (9 Cool)
• Deep Breath (9 Cool)
• California Reaper (15 Cool)
• Can’t Touch This (9 Reflexes)
• Muscle Memory (4 Reflexes)

Phantom Liberator

This Cool character build specializes in one-shotting enemies from the shadows. Your weapons of choice are throwing knives and axes, dealing massive headshot damage and debilitating additional effects. This highly mobile build evades attackers as you reposition and strike against your foes.

Perks:

• Killer Instinct (4 Cool)
• Scorpion Sting (9 Cool)
• Juggler (15 Cool)
• Style Over Substance (20 Cool)
• Feline Footwork (4 Cool)
• Ninjutsu (15 Cool)
• Dash (9 Reflexes)
• Air Dash (15 Reflexes)

Additional Perks:

• Quick Getaway (4 Cool)
• Gag Order (4 Cool)
• Neurotoxin (9 Cool)
• Pay It Forward (15 Cool)
• Sleight of Hand (15 Cool)

Intelligence Character Builds

Intelligence perks offer a unique set of abilities centered around quickhacks, smart guns, and monowires. These perks are tailored for players who seek a more tactical approach to gameplay, enabling them to manipulate both their enemies and the environment.

Mindflayer

Mindflayer represents the pinnacle of remote devastation, wreaking havoc upon enemies without lifting a finger. Utilize Quickhacks to cripple opponents beyond recovery, and if RAM runs dry, be prepared to sacrifice your own health to continue your cerebral onslaught.

Perks:

• Hack Queue (9 Intelligence)
• Queue Acceleration (15 Intelligence)
• Queue Mastery (20 Intelligence)
• Optimization (4 Intelligence)

Additional Perks:

• Embedded Exploit (9 Intelligence)
• Overclock (15 Intelligence)
• Spillover (20 Intelligence)
• Painkiller (4 Body)

Agent of Chaos

Agent of Chaos thrives on creating mayhem with Quickhacks before delivering the finishing blow. This cold-blooded build exploits enemy vulnerabilities and ensures your safety when RAM is depleted, thanks to your impeccable pistol skills.

Perks:

• Optimization (4 Intelligence)
• Embedded Exploit (9 Intelligence)
• Overclock (15 Intelligence)
• Eye in the Sky (4 Intelligence)
• Hack Queue (9 Intelligence)
• Focus (9 Cool)
• Deadeye (15 Cool)
• Run ‘n’ Gun (20 Cool)

Additional Perks:

• Proximate Propagation (4 Intelligence)
• Subordination (4 Intelligence)
• Sublimation (15 Intelligence)
• Power Surge (15 Intelligence)
• Warning: Explosion Hazard (4 Intelligence)
• Data Recycler (9 Intelligence)
• Feedback Loop (9 Intelligence)