2.1 Best Netrunner Build (Quickhack Build)

Here is the best Update 2.1 Netrunner Build for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Check out details about the build, what attributes to level up, which perks to choose, and what quickhacks, weapons, and cyberwares to use to become Night City's best hacker in this guide.

Netrunner Build Overview

Build Basic Information

Netrunner Build
Main Attributes	Intelligence Technical Ability
Quickhacks	・Memory Wipe ・Contagion ・Overheat ・Cyberware Malfunction ・Short Circuit
Main Weapons / Arms Cyberware	・Monowire Smart Weapons: ・Genjiroh / Crimestopper ・Prototype Shingen Mark V / Pizdets ・Hercules 3AX
Operating System	Tetratronic Rippler Mk.5

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Be the best Netrunner Night City has ever seen with this build! This will let you access powerful quickhacks that can take out mobs of enemies before you even get detected. Since Update 2.0, you can queue multiple quickhacks, making it possible to do quickhack combos that have various effects!

Weaknesses

The full potential of this build requires you to stay undetected, making direct gunfights hard. Staying stealthy is the key to a great Netrunner playstyle, so you have to play slow.

Netrunner Best Attribute Build

Attribute Progression

Build Attributes
Lv.	Body	Reflex	Tech	Intel	Cool
1	3	4	6	6	3
10	3	7	9	9	3
50	6	15	15	20	15
60	16	15	15	20	15

The max level is only up until 50 in the base game. Purchase Phantom Liberty to reach level 60.

The main attributes you should focus on in this build are Intelligence and Technical Ability.

A Netrunner playstyle will make you spend a lot of RAM to upload your quickhacks, which are you main damage dealers. Intelligence increases your maximum RAM capacity the more points you put into it and Technical Ability allows you to further modify your cyberware to deal more quickhack damage and speed up RAM recovery rate.

For additional mobility and crit chance, put points into Reflexes and for increased stealth and crit damage, put points into Cool. You can also add points into specific perk trees, depending on the playstyle you want to do. Jump to our alternative builds section for more information!

In the Phantom Liberty DLC, your level cap increases to 60, meaning you'll get 10 more attribute points. Invest these points in the Body attribute. This will increase your health and will improve your survivability.

Netrunner Build Best Perks

This is the full list of 2.0 perks that you can get if you achieve the maximum level 60 with the Phantom Liberty DLC. Optional perks are also listed in their own section in case you have not purchased the DLC.

Jump to Each Attribute for Their Perks!
Intelligence	Technical Ability	Cool	Reflexes
Body		Optional Perks

Intelligence Attribute

Always look to put points in the Intelligence attribute first. Progressing this tree will open you up to powerful quickhack modifiers that is the foundation of being a Netrunner. This attribute will also allow you utilize the Monowire more, which can speed up RAM recovery while also dealing great damage.

If you want a build that focuses on using Smart Weapons, you can start putting points in the Acquisition Specialist perk tree.

Perk List

Main Perk	Secondary Perk(s)
Optimization (1 pt)	Proximate Propagation Encryption Subordination
Eye in the Sky (1 pt)	Forcekill Cypher Warning: Explosion Hazard
Hack Queue (2 pt)	Feedback Loop Data Recycler Copy-Paste Counter-A-Hack
Embedded Exploit (2 pt)	Shadowrunner Icepick System Overwhelm Speculation Siphon
Acquisition Specialist (2 pt)	Precision Subroutines No Escape
Target Lock Transfer (3 pt)	Targeting Prism Terminal Velocity
Overclock (3 pt)	Power Surge Race Against Mind Sublimation
Queue Acceleration (3 pt)	Queue Hack_Root Queue Prioritization Finisher: Live Wire

Final Perks

Final Perks
Queue Mastery	Spillover	Smart Synergy

Cross-Branch Perk

Perk	Requirement
Blood Daemon	Queue Hack_Root Sublimation
Recirculation	Speculation Precision Subroutines

Get this perk when you have specific secondary perks unlocked.

Vehicle Perk

Vehicle Perk
Carhacker

Technical Ability Attribute

The second attribute to focus on is Technical Ability. In this attribute, it allows for more quickhack damage and RAM recovery by giving stat bonuses to the Cyberware you have equipped.

Perk List

Main Perk	Secondary Perk(s)
Glutton for War (1 pt)	Main Perk Only
All Things Cyber (2 pt)	Renaissance Punk Driver Update Chipware Connoisseur
License to Chrome (3 pt)	Extended Warranty

Vehicle Perk

Vehicle Perk
Gearhead

Reflexes

In the Reflexes attribute, improve maneuverability in combat by getting the Dash and Airdash perks to reposition when things go south.

If your want a more Blade-focused playstyle, invest more points into this attribute tree.

Perk List

Main Perk	Secondary Perk(s)
Slippery (1 pt)	Main Perk Only
Dash (2 pt)	Main Perk Only
Air Dash (3 pt)	Main Perk Only

Vehicle Perk

Vehicle Perk
Stuntjock

Cool Attribute

Lastly, for the Cool attribute, focus on getting Ninjutsu and it's related perks to make it harder for enemies to detect you, making this build as stealthy as possible.

If your want a more Headshot-focused playstyle, invest more points into this attribute tree.

Perk List

Main Perk	Secondary Perk(s)
Feline Footwork (1 pt)	Main Perk Only
Ninjutsu (3 pt)	Shinobi Sprint Creeping Death Vanishing Act

Body Attribute

In the Phantom Liberty DLC, your level cap increases to 60. The additional 10 points for your attribute should be invested in the Body tree, primarily to get Adrenaline Rush. This perk will improve your health and increase the effectiveness of health items, which will greatly synergize with the Overclock perk to upload more quickhacks!

Perk List

Main Perk	Secondary Perk(s)
Painkiller (1 pt)	Comeback Kid
Adrenaline Rush (3 pt)	Juggernaut Unstoppable Force Calm Mind

Optional Perks

If you still have not purchased the Phantom Liberty DLC and have no access to the 10 additional perk points that came with it, these perks are optional and can be removed.

Removable Perks (10 pts)
Adrenaline Rush	Juggernaut
Unstoppable Force	Calm Mind
Comeback Kid	Fury Road
Vanishing Act	Shinobi Sprint

Netrunner Build Relic Skill Priority

Take Jailbreak and Data Tunneling First

Priority	Main Skill	→	Branch Skill
1st	Jailbreak	→	Data Tunneling
2nd	Emergency Cloaking	→	Sensory Protocol
3rd	Vulnerability Analytics	→	Machine Learning

It is imperative for Netrunner builds to take the Jailbreak relic skill first then branching off to Data Tunneling.

Jailbreak gives your Monowire an additonal slot for a Quickhack that you can use without any RAM cost. This is especially helpful when you are waiting for your RAM to replenish. Data Tunneling improves this further, making sure Monowire attacks spread the quickhack to other enemies!

When you have enough points, make sure to take Emergency Cloaking next. This improves on your Optical Camo which helps you survive when you get detected by enemies.

The last brach to take here is Vulnerability Analytics. This essentially improves on your other weapons by introducing weakspots on enemies. Very helpful when your quickhacks are on cooldown.

Relic Skill Tree Available in the DLC

Please take note that the Phantom Liberty expansion is needed to access the Relic Skill Tree.

Relic Skill Tree Guide and List

Netrunner Build Best Cyberwares

Netrunner Cyberware Selection

Jump to Each Cyberware!
Operating System	Arms	Face	Hands
Circulatory System	Legs	Frontal Cortex	Skeleton
Nervous System		Integumentary System

Operating System

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Tetratronic Rippler MK.5	Allows you to perform quickhacks on enemies and devices while scanning. +15% weapon damage against enemies affected by non-combat quickhacks. +40% with Combat quickhacks when immediately followed by a non-combat quickhack in the queue. +5 Max RAM. When activating Overlock, automatically upload Reboot Optics and Weapon Glitch to all enemies within 8m.

The Tetratronic Rippler MK.5 is the best Cyberdeck you can use for this build. At Tier 5, you get to upload Reboot Optics and Weapon Glitch for free on enemies near you, which will increase quickhack damage by 60% thanks to the Embedded Exploit perk.

This Cyberdeck can further increase the damage of your combat quickhacks if you follow them up with non-combat ones, which will also increase your weapon damage. This will make for a killer Netrunner roaming Night City!

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Arms

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Thermal Monowire	+3.1% Melee Damage +0.16 RAM Regen from neutralizing an enemy

While waiting for your RAM to replenish, the Monowire is your weapon to mow down remaining enemies. With the Siphon and Finisher: Live Wire perks equipped, attacking and finishing off enemies with this Cyberware can now further speed up RAM recovery, making it easier to get back into uploading more quickhacks! For extra damage, we recommend the Thermal Monowire.

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Face

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Kiroshi "Sentry" Optics	Effect active when scanning: Highlights cameras and turrets within 35m.

The Kiroshi "Sentry" Optics is the best optic for this build. This is to heavily attune to the Intelligence attribute, increasing all the damage that you do.

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Hands

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Microgenerator	Reloading an empty weapon causes the next shot to release an electroshock that deals up to 240 Electrical damage to enemies near the point of impact. Electroshock damage increases with the number of bullets reloaded (max. 5 bullets).
Smart Link	Target Lock Duration +20% and +10% Crit Damage with Smart weapons. +2 Max RAM.

The Microgenerator helps you deal extra Electrical damage after reloading an empty weapon and is also Intelligence Attuned.

Another option will be Smart Link if your playstyle revolves around using Smart Weapons.

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Circulatory System

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Adrenaline Booster	Stamina +23% whenever you use a melee weapon to neutralize an enemy.
Heal-on-Kill	Health +7% when you neutralize an enemy.
Microrotors	Increase melee attack speed by 23%. (Melee attack speed cannot exceed 2 attacks per second.)

Heal-On-Kill is recommended for this build, especially after activating Overclock. This will help you survive after uploading as much Quickhacks as you can.

For the remaining two slots, equip Adrenaline Booster and Microrotors to increase your Monowire attack speed.

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Legs

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Reinforced Tendons	Press Space Bar in midair to perform a double jump.
Lynx Paws	50% quieter movement and +12% crouched movement speed.

Reinforced Tendons enables double jump. This allows you to easily reposition, making it easier to upload more quickhacks behind covers or just runaway when things go south.

Alternatively, you can also equip Lynx Paws for a more stealthy gameplay!

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Frontal Cortex

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Ram Upgrade	Increase RAM recovery rate by +0.17 unit(s) per sec. +2 Max RAM.
Ex-Disk	+6 Max RAM and +17% Upload speed for quickhacks.
Camillo Ram Manager	Instantly recovers 23% Max RAM when available RAM falls to 20%. +2 Max RAM Cooldown: 100 sec.

Slot in Frontal Cortex Cyberware that can help your max RAM and RAM recovery rate. Ram Upgrade, Ex-Disk, and Camillo Ram Manager will do the trick!

Alternatively, you can also put Bioconductors for more quickhack damage, but this will lower your max RAM.

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Skeleton

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Dense Marrow	+24% melee damage +15% melee Stamina cost
Ram Recoup	Receiving damage restores RAM equal to 0.28% of damage received. +2 Max RAM
Feen-X	+250% RAM Regen Rate when available RAM is below 3

Update 2.1 introduced the Feen-X Skeleton cyberware, which helps a lot with your RAM regen rate, making it possible to get back into uploading quickhacks quicker when your RAM goes down.

Equip Ram Recoup to regenerate RAM after taking damage. Also equip Dense Marrow to increase Monowire damage.

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Nervous System

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Kerenzikov	Allows you to aim and perform ranged attacks while sliding, dodging or Dashing. Slows time by 60% for 3.5 sec. when you aim a ranged attack during a slide, dodge or Dash. Cooldown 6.5 sec.
Synaptic Accelerator	Slows time by 50% for 3.5 sec. when enemy detection reaches 50%. Cooldown 60 sec.

Kerenzikov slows down time after dashing towards an enemy. Use this time to upload your Quickhacks!

The Synaptic Accelerator also slows down time, but only when enemy detection reaches 50%. This is a good way to reposition yourself to stay undetected.

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Integumentary System

Cyberware	Effect (Tier 5)
Subdermal Armor	+0.5 Armor per Attribute Point. +1.3% Decreased enemy vision +2.6 Health
Pain Editor	-7% all incoming damage +0.1% damage reduction per Attribute Point. +0.5% Mitigation Chance +2.1% Damage Over Time Resistance
Optical Camo	-90% visibility to enemies for 7 sec., making it more difficult for them to detect you outside of combat and hit you during combat. Cooldown: 50 sec.

Equip Optical Camo to stay undetected! This works well with the Creeping Death perk, which will grant you boosts to you health, stamina, and movement speed after neutralizing an enemy.

The next two slots are reserved for Subdermal Armor and Pain Editor, helping you become a bit more tankier.

▲ Back to Cyberware Selection ▲

Netrunner Build Best Quickhacks

Netrunner Quickhack Selection

Jump to Each Quickhack!
Memory Wipe
Contagion + Overheat	Cyberware Malfunction + Short Circuit

Memory Wipe

	Type / Stats
	Covert Quickhack RAM Requirement: 32 Upload Time: 10sec
	Effects
	▸Untraceable ▸Prevents the target enemy from noticing you for a short time. 25% trace progress when uploaded outside of combat. ▸Quickhacks queued after Memory Wipe are not traceable. ▸Forces all enemies to exit combat state.

Uploading Memory Wipe first will ensure that enemies will not trace you after uploading quickhack combos. While it does take a while to upload, this is a good quickhack to start a fight.

▲ Back to Quickhack Selection ▲

Contagion + Overheat

Contagion	Type / Stats
	Combat Quickhack RAM Requirement: 12 Upload Time: 2sec Duration Time: 8sec
	Effects
	▸Infects the enemy with a virus that causes toxic cyberware substances to leak. This deals poison damage over time and can spread to 4 enemy(-ies) within 8 m. Effective against closely grouped enemies. Ineffective against mechs, robots, drones and turrets. Stacks 2 times. ▸Applying a Burn or Overheat effect against an affected enemy will cause the leaked toxic substance to detonate. The explosion removes Contagion's effect. ▸+15% damage with this quickhack against each subsequent enemy it spreads to.
Overheat	Type / Stats
	Combat Quickhack RAM Requirement: 9 Upload Time: 2sec Duration Time: 2sec
	Effects
	▸Set the enemy on fire, dealing damage over time. ▸Uploading Overheat to an enemy already affect by it will extend its duration. ▸Successful attacks on enemies affected by Overheat slightly extend its duration. ▸Melts enemy armor over time (max.-40%). ▸Attacks on the affected enemy also deal Thermal damage equal 10% of the normal physical damage.

This a great quickhack combo to do and will basically be your Netrunning bread and butter. Upload Contagion first before Overheat. The latter will detonate the former once uploaded, creating a huge explosion that can wipe out groups of enemies!

▲ Back to Quickhack Selection ▲

Cyberware Malfunction + Short Circuit

Cyberware Malfunction	Type / Stats
	Control Quickhack RAM Requirement: 4 Upload Time: 0.3sec Duration Time: 10sec
	Effects
	▸Stacks up to 8 times. ▸Disables enemy cyberware for 10 sec. and increases all damage against affected enemy by 5%. ▸At 2 stacks, permanently disables enemy cyberware. ▸At 3 stacks, deals Electrical damage over time. The amount of damage increases with each subsequent stack. ▸At maximum stacks, enemy cyberware overloads, dealing massive damage. Cyberware Malfunction cannot be used on the same enemy again.
Short Circuit	Type / Stats
	Combat Quickhack RAM Requirement: 10 Upload Time: 0.5sec
	Effects
	▸Deals damage. Mechs, robots, drones and turrets receive additional damage. ▸+3 sec. duration for all Control quickhacks currently affecting the target. ▸+10% damage for each stack of Cyberware Malfunction affecting the enemy. This increased damage also causes the affected enemy's weakspot to explode. ▸Applies an EMP effect that deals additional damage over time. ▸+20% damage against enemies below a High threat level.

Short Circuit adds 10% damage for every stack of Cyberware Malfunction on an enemy. For enemies that have a lot of health pool, this will provide significant damage that can help out the fight!

▲ Back to Quickhack Selection ▲

Netrunner Build Recommended Weapons

Base Game

Recommended Weapons (Base Game only)
Genjiroh	Prototype: Shingen Mark V

• Genjiroh and Prototype: Shingen Mark V is the best Smart Weapon to use for this build. With the Recirculation perk equipped and these weapons' fire rates, you'll be replenishing RAM as quickly as possible.

Base Game + Phantom Liberty DLC

Recommended Weapons (with Phantom Liberty)
Crimestopper	Pizdets	Hercules 3AX

• Listed are the best Smart Weapons to use for this build; the Crimestopper Smart Pistol, the Pizdets Smart Submachine Gun, and the Hercules 3AX Smart Assault Rifle.
• These Phantom Liberty weapons provides great damage and utility. However, keep in mind that these are mostly for support since your damage will mostly come from your quickhacks.

How to Play the Netrunner Build

Quickhacks Are Your Main Weapons

Your main playstyle for this build is to not directly engage enemies in a fight. Instead, utilize your Cyberdeck and Quickhacks to bring down mobs of enemies.

Most of these Quickhacks burn through RAM easily, so activate the Overclock perk before uploading. Don't worry too much about your health; perks like Blood Daemon, Sublimation, and Power Surge will keep you alive before enemies even notice you're nearby!

We recommend the Contagion + Overheat or the Cyberware Malfunction + Short Circuit upload combos to deal with groups easily.

Hack Enemies Within 10m Behind Cover with Overclock

Update 2.1 buffed the Overclock perk; at Netrunner level 60, using this perk will reveal enemies 10m away, allowing you to quickhack them behind cover. This gives you an edge in battle, being able to stay safe, upload daemons, and then rushing when it's all done!

Use Monowire to Speed Up RAM Recovery

Uploading lots of Quickhacks can deplete your RAM quickly, even with Overclock active. However, thanks to perks like Siphon and Finisher: Live Wire, you can now speed up RAM recovery by just attacking with your Monowire and using its finisher.

Use Your Preferred Weapon Against Remaining Enemies

If some enemies are still even alive after you've Quickhacked your way through the squad, use your weapon of choice to finish the rest off. Show them who's rules Night City (other than the Arasakas)!

Alternative Builds

Blades-Focused Build

Recommended Build
Weapons	Byakko
Perks to Remove	Attribute: Intelligence Acquisition Specialist and Smart Weapons-related perks
Perks to Add	Attribute: Reflexes Flash and Thunderclap Seeing Double Lead and Steel Mad Dash Flash of Steel Opportunist Going the Distance Finisher: Bladerunner

This build will have you focus on Blades as your backup weapons instead of Smart Weapons. Instead of putting points into the Acquisition Specialist perk tree, invest those points into the Lead and Steel perk in the Reflexes attribute, providing you with powerful upgrades for your equipped blade.

We recommend Byakko as the blade for this build. This weapon can be acquired during Professional Widow side gig, which can be unlocked after finishing all of Wakako Okada's Gigs in Westbrook.

Headshot-Focused Build (Revolver/Sniper)

Recommended Build
Weapons	Archangel (Endgame) Kongou (Early Game) Ol'Reliable (Phantom Liberty) Overwatch
Perks to Remove	Attribute: Intelligence Acquisition Specialist and Smart Weapons-related perks
Additional Perks	Attribute: Cool Unexposed Deep Breath Head to Head No Sweat Focus Long Shot California Reaper Deadeye

For this build, you will focus on hitting those clean headshots! Invest your perk points into the Cool attribute to get Focus and Deadeye. This provides you extra headshot and weakspot damage with your Revolver and/or Sniper Rifle.

Use the Archangel Revolver for this build or the Kongou Revolver if you're still early in the game. If you have the Phantom Liberty DLC, use the Ol'Reliable Revolver. As for the sniper, we recommend the Overwatch, which will be given by V's trusty nomad friend, Panam

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