Attributes, perks and Cyberware Capacity in Cyberpunk 2077 have worked completely differently since Update 2.0 than they did in 2020. This guide explains how the 2.x system (current patch 2.31) ties together five attributes, perk trees, skills and implants, what you can refund and what you can’t, and how capacity for cyberware works. It applies to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Mac and Switch 2. You won’t find a best build here, but you will understand what to base your own character on.
What Update 2.0 changed
Update 2.0 launched for free on 21 September 2023 and completely rebuilt the perk trees. There are fewer perks, but each one changes how you play more noticeably. Examples include Overclock for netrunners and Adrenaline Rush in the Body tree. The same update brought Cyberware Capacity and changed the role of clothing: armour now comes mainly from cyberware, while clothes are mostly cosmetic and have no mod slots.
So skip guides on this topic from 2020 to 2022. They describe perks and rules that are no longer in the game. For an overview of what has changed in recent versions, see our Update 2.3 guide.
Five attributes and the Relic tree
V has five attributes: Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence and Cool. Each one starts at 3. You earn attribute points as your character levels up, one per level.
Every attribute has its own perk tree. A tree has four tiers, and full access to all its perks needs 20 points in the attribute, which is also the attribute’s maximum. If you want to open a tree completely, don’t spread your points evenly across all five.
The Phantom Liberty expansion adds a sixth tree, Relic. You don’t earn its points by levelling up but within the expansion, including from Militech data terminals in Dogtown.
Perks: free refunds and respecs outside combat
Since 2.0 perks are very forgiving. You can refund each perk individually for free and reassign perk points at any time when you’re not in combat. If an ability doesn’t suit you, just refund it and try something else.
Some perks also unlock extra cyberware slots, so perk trees and implants are more closely linked than they first seem.
Attributes can be reset only once
Attributes don’t give you that freedom. You can reset them only once, and both existing and new characters get this one-time reset. Use it up in your first few hours and there won’t be another. Keep it for when you know which playstyle you enjoy.
Before you spend points, test your character in the official Build Planner. CD PROJEKT RED launched it on the web, and it can plan both the base game trees and the Relic tree from Phantom Liberty.
Skills: they grow as you play
Alongside attributes you have five skills: Headhunter, Netrunner, Shinobi, Solo and Engineer. They grow as you do the activity they cover in the game. The maximum skill level is 60, and every five levels unlock a passive bonus.
Skills aren’t capped by your attribute level. Even with a low attribute you can push a skill a long way, as long as you actually do the activity.
Cyberware Capacity: how many implants your body can take
Cyberware Capacity sets how many implants V’s body can handle. Every implant costs part of that capacity, so you build a combination that fits under the limit. We don’t list specific numbers here, because we couldn’t confirm them from two independent sources.
- No attribute minimum. Since 2.0 cyberware no longer requires a minimum attribute value. All you need is free capacity and money.
- Attuned. Implants are attuned to a specific attribute. The higher that attribute, the stronger the implant’s bonus. As a general rule, Technical Ability boosts cyberware.
- Ripperdoc. You upgrade your implants at a ripperdoc.
- Slots from perks. Some cyberware slots only unlock through perks.
- Cyberware Capacity Shards. Capacity goes up with shards that drop in the game. Patch 2.1 fixed their drops even at max level, and since 2.3 you can also get shards you’re missing.
A rough guide by playstyle
No attribute is mandatory and the game doesn’t lock you into one path. For basic orientation, this split works:
| Playstyle | Attributes to focus on |
|---|---|
| Hacking and cyberware | Intelligence and Technical Ability |
| Stealth | add Cool |
| Direct combat | Body and Reflexes |
Treat it as a map, not a recipe. Because perks are refunded for free, you can fine-tune your style as you go. Just keep an eye on that single attribute reset. If you’re just starting out, check our beginner’s guide for what to do in your first hours.
Join our Discord to talk through your character with other players and compare how they spent their points. Head over to the GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Five: Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence and Cool. The Phantom Liberty expansion adds the Relic tree, whose points you earn within the expansion.
Yes, but only once. Both existing and new characters get a one-time attribute reset, so don’t spend it at the very start.
Since 2.0 you refund each perk individually for free. You can reassign perk points at any time outside combat.
The limit that sets how many implants V’s body can take. Each implant uses part of it, and you can raise it with Cyberware Capacity Shards that drop in the game.
Not since 2.0. Free capacity and money are enough. Implants are attuned to a specific attribute, though, and give a stronger bonus the higher it is.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are waiting in the Cyberpunk 2077 hub.