Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty: All Skills and Progression System explained (2.0)

Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty has introduced a new Skill and Skill progression system, which will allow you to gain the most out of the playstyle that you are going for. Skill represents the proficiency that you have in various gameplay elements, letting you unlock various bonuses and buffs as you level a particular Skill up.

There are five skills in the game:

Headhunter
Shinobi
Netrunner
Solo
Engineer

Each Skill can be leveled through specific actions in the game and offers thematic bonuses and skills for a particular playstyle as well.

Hence, it’s not surprising why many in the community wish to know more about the skill system that was introduced with 2.0.

Today's Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty guide will go over everything you need to know about the new Skills and progression system in 2.0

How do the new Skills work in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty (2.0)

As mentioned, there are 5 Skills in the RPG. They level up in specific ways and provide thematic bonuses and buffs based on a particular playstyle.

1) Headhunter

Headhunter Skill line will rank up the more you rely on open combat and with the number of headshots and weakpoint damage that you are pulling off. Stealth-killing enemies also provide XP in the Headhunter line, and it’s one of the easier skills to max out first.

Headhunter skills include decreasing visibility to enemies while buffing the damage you do with headshots and weakpoint hits. It will also buff your Optical Camo while decreasing the recovery time of thrown weapons.

2) Netrunner

Netrunner skill XP is acquired by hacking into Terminals, Access Points, as well as cameras. When in combat, one of the best ways to gain Netrunner XP will be to take out enemies by the use of control and combat quickhacks.

Relying on Smart weapons to take enemies out during an encounter will also raise Netrunner level. It is one of the Skill lines you should max out first if you are going for a more hacker-oriented build in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty.

Netrunner Skills increases Max RAM, RAM recovery, and quickhack potency.

3) Shinobi

Shinobi is the way of the ninja, and the skills in this line go hand in hand with the Perks in the Reflexes Attribute. It will help you improve your maneuverability in battle. You will gain more Shinobi XP as you dash, doge, and leap to take out enemies. Vaulting over obstacles outside combat also gives Shinobi experience points.

Shinobi skills will make you gain additional bonuses to all your movement skills. From getting better accuracy temporarily after a Dash to reducing the amount of Stamina Dash takes to buffing your Sandevistan, Shinobi skills will let you achieve a lot in the heat of battle.

4) Solo

Solo is all about raw power and ties in well with the Body Attribute. You can increase Solo levels by investing in fistfights and relying on Gorilla Arms in most encounters. Using Blunt weapons, too, will let you get more XP in this skill line.

Solo skills will increase your carrying capacity, and buff the damage that you do with fists and Gorilla Arms. It will also increase your Max HP, while at the same time buffing the Berserk ability.

Solo is the perfect skill line for those looking to go for a tanky build that relies a fair bit on melee attacks.

Solo skills in the game (Image via Cyberpunk 2077)

5) Engineer

The Engineer skill levels up the more you invest in Tech weapons and grenades. Crafting and upgrading your weapons and armaments is another way of leveling this skill up, and it ties in really well with the Technical Ability Attribute.

The more Engineer levels you gain, the more proficient you will get with grenades and Tech weapons. You will also unlock more armor in certain ranks and gain the ability to equip more Cyberware.

Engineer also buffs Fury and makes EMP blasts more frequent.

Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Skill progression explained: At what levels do skills unlock

Skills will unlock after you have reached a particular rank or level in that specific line. Here are the ranks at which they unlock:

Level 5
Level 10
Level 15
Level 20
Level 25
Level 30
Level 35
Level 40
Level 45
Level 50
Level 55
Level 60

Each of the above levels will unlock a thematic Skill in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, except for Ranks 15 and 35. Both these ranks for all Skill lines will unlock one Perk Point.

It's important to note here that you will find Skill Shards for all the skills in the game. These are items that are acquired as loot from chests, lockers, and fallen enemies. Getting one will provide an instant level-up to the skill that the shard belongs to.