Cyberpunk 2077 Complete Guide — Everything You Need to Know

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action RPG set in Night City, a dystopian megacity in 2077. You play as V, a mercenary with a unique implant containing Johnny Silverhand's engram (Keanu Reeves). The game features deep character customization, branching storylines, multiple endings, and extensive side content. After Update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty, the game is widely regarded as a strong open-world RPG experience. This guide covers all essential topics: getting started, lifepaths, attributes, combat, quests, endings, and expansion content.

If you have not played since before September 2023, do not resume an old build — rebuild it. Update 2.0 rebuilt the core RPG systems for free, and old saves still load with progression carried over, but nearly every rule you remember about perks, armor and cyberware is different now.

Every update below is free — Phantom Liberty is the only paid content. This is why "the game is fixed" discourse exists: the redemption came from three years of patches, not one.

• Update 2.0 (September 2023) — the free systems overhaul described above, shipped days before Phantom Liberty launched.
• Update 2.1 (December 5, 2023) — rideable NCART metro trains, the Radioport (radio while walking), repeatable car races, hangouts with romantic partners, and a dedicated Accessibility settings tab.
• Update 2.2 (December 10, 2024) — 100+ new character customization options, CrystalCoat repainting for select luxury cars with TWINTONE color schemes, and a major Photo Mode overhaul.
• Update 2.3 (July 17, 2025) — motorcycle customization for the first time, AutoDrive with self-driving Delamain cabs, 4 new vehicles, a bigger Photo Mode (spawn NPCs, set time and weather), FSR 3.1 Frame Generation / FSR 4 / Intel XeSS 2.0 on PC, VRR on consoles, and the macOS version.
• PlayStation 5 Pro Update (April 2026) — PSSR upscaling plus three PS5 Pro graphics modes, including ray tracing at a stable 60 fps (details in the performance section below).

Essential tips for new players entering Night City for the first time.

• Choose a Lifepath (Nomad, Streetkid, or Corpo) — each gives unique dialogue and a prologue quest, but all lead to the same main story.
• Visit Viktor Vektor (Ripperdoc) after the prologue for free cyberware: Kiroshi Optics + a hand implant.
• Sell junk regularly at drop points to earn eddies and clear inventory clutter.
• Unlock Fast Travel dataterms as you explore — 150+ across the map, save enormous travel time.
• Holster your weapon in public — drawing weapons is seen as a threat by NPCs and police.
• Use the scanner frequently to highlight items, enemies, and interactive objects.
• Health regenerates outside combat — invest in Body perks like Painkiller for in-combat regen.
• Street Cred matters — completing gigs and side jobs unlocks better gear and vendors.
• Start on Easy or Normal difficulty. You can change it anytime. Very Hard is for experienced players.
• Save often — dialogue choices have real consequences and affect endings.

Your Lifepath determines your prologue, some dialogue options, and a unique early quest. All three lead to the same main story after the introduction.

After Update 2.0, there are five Attributes. You start with minimum 3 in each + 7 points to distribute. At max level 60, you can comfortably max three Attributes.

Cyberpunk 2077 offers multiple combat approaches. You can mix and match or specialize — see builds for complete build archetypes and weapons for the iconic gear worth chasing.

Cyberpunk 2077 has extensive content beyond the main story — our quests guide covers each one in detail. Complete side content BEFORE the Point of No Return.

Phantom Liberty is the major expansion released alongside Update 2.0. It adds a spy-thriller storyline, new district (Dogtown), characters, and endings.

Three ways to buy, one real decision: with or without Phantom Liberty. Everything else — Update 2.0 through 2.3 and all free DLCs — is included in every copy of the base game on PC and current-gen consoles.

Night City runs on every current platform, but the experience differs more than screenshots suggest. Quick comparison — the frame-rate detail is in the next section.

Cyberpunk 2077 is still one of the heaviest open-world engines on the market, and every platform gives you a mode choice. What each one targets:

Since Update 2.1 all of these live under a dedicated Accessibility tab in Settings. The options that matter most in practice:

• Three colorblind filters — protanopia, deuteranopia and tritanopia.
• Subtitles for cinematics, radio and overhead NPC chatter, with six text sizes and an adjustable background opacity slider.
• A Larger Fonts toggle that scales up UI text across menus.
• Motion sickness support — an Additive Camera Motions setting that reduces secondary camera movement, plus a center-of-screen dot overlay to anchor your eyes.
• Aim assist with separate levels for ranged combat (off / light / standard / substantial), melee (off / light / standard) and vehicle combat, plus a Snap to Target toggle for firearms.
• Weapon sway can be shifted from the camera to the weapon; controller vibration and UI haptic feedback are separately adjustable.

Cyberpunk 2077 has 7 endings total. Your choices throughout the game determine which ending you get.

Helpful external resources for Cyberpunk 2077 players.

This page is the systems overview. The other guides are built to be pulled in exactly when you need them — here is the intended reading order for a first playthrough:

• Before starting — the beginner guide: character creation, lifepath picks, first-hour priorities and money management.
• Around level 10-15 — the builds guide to commit to a playstyle, and weapons for the iconic weapons worth chasing early.
• While exploring — /map for districts and fast travel, /cars for every free vehicle you can pick up along the way.
• As the story deepens — /quests for walkthroughs and /characters for romance requirements and choice consequences.
• Before Nocturne Op55N1 — review the endings table above to plan which finale you are heading for.
• After the credits — /edgerunners if the anime hooked you, and /cyberpunk-2 for what CD Projekt Red is building next.
• Any time — the FAQ for quick answers like "is Phantom Liberty worth it" or "which Sandevistan is best".

• Play at your own pace — Cyberpunk 2077 rewards exploration and relationship-building.
• Experiment with builds — the respec system means no choice is permanent.
• Explore Night City thoroughly — the map is highly vertical with content on rooftops, in basements, and on elevated platforms.
• Complete side content before the Point of No Return — you cannot return to unfinished quests.
• Talk to NPCs multiple times — they often reveal new information or quests on subsequent conversations.
• Save before major dialogue choices — consequences are real and irreversible.
• Phantom Liberty is essential — it significantly elevates the base game with excellent storytelling.
• Mods are PC only — see our /mods guide for installation and recommendations.
• The game has improved dramatically since launch through Update 2.0, Phantom Liberty, and patches 2.1-2.3+.
• Good luck in Night City, choom. Stay chrome.