In the current version of Cyberpunk 2077, what players often call the “skill tree” is really several connected progression systems. V has five Attributes with their own perk trees, five separate Skills that improve through gameplay, and, for Phantom Liberty owners, an additional Relic tree.
This guide covers the current 2.x progression system introduced with Update 2.0. If you are returning after an older playthrough, understanding the difference between Attributes, perks, and Skills is the best place to start.
How Cyberpunk 2077 Character Progression Works
The three main parts of character progression serve different purposes:
| System | What It Does | How It Progresses |
|---|---|---|
| Attributes | Define the broad direction of your build | Spend Attribute points |
| Perks | Unlock specific abilities inside Attribute trees | Spend perk points |
| Skills | Provide passive progression based on how you play | Gain Skill XP through relevant actions |
The five Attributes are Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence, and Cool. Raising an Attribute gives you access to higher tiers of perks within its tree.
Perks are the abilities you choose within those trees. Some provide useful bonuses, while others noticeably change how V fights, moves, hacks, or uses equipment.
Skills work differently. Headhunter, Netrunner, Shinobi, Solo, and Engineer develop independently as you perform related activities. You do not spend Attribute points to level them.
The Five Cyberpunk 2077 Attribute Trees
Each Attribute favors certain weapons and approaches, but none needs to operate in isolation. Most developed builds eventually use a primary Attribute supported by one or more secondary trees.
Body
Body suits players who want durability, powerful close-range attacks, and an aggressive combat style.
Its perk branches support areas such as shotguns, light machine guns, blunt weapons, health, and survivability. Higher-tier perks include abilities such as Adrenaline Rush, which can make a Body-focused V much harder to bring down during intense fights.
Body is a natural foundation for tank-like or heavy melee builds, but additional survivability can also make it useful as a secondary investment.
Reflexes
Reflexes centers on mobility and fast-paced combat. It supports blades, assault rifles, submachine guns, and movement abilities.
Dash is one of the tree’s most noticeable early upgrades because it changes how V closes distance, escapes danger, and moves around a fight. Deeper investment can support highly mobile blade builds built around katanas and rapid repositioning.
Players who want combat to feel fast and active will often find Reflexes more appealing than a slower, durability-focused approach.
Technical Ability
Technical Ability is closely tied to cyberware and technical equipment. Its perks interact with areas such as Cyberware Capacity, Tech weapons, grenades, healing items, and other gear-based mechanics.
This makes Technical Ability unusually versatile. CD Projekt Red’s own example builds pair it with both Reflexes and Body, showing how it can strengthen very different combat styles through better use of cyberware.
If chrome is an important part of how you want to build V, Technical Ability deserves consideration even when another Attribute defines your main weapon style.
Intelligence
Intelligence is the main Attribute for netrunning.
Its perk tree focuses on quickhacks, RAM management, cyberdecks, Smart weapons, and abilities that expand what hacking can do during combat. Overclock, for example, allows a netrunner to keep uploading quickhacks by using Health when RAM alone is not enough.
Intelligence can support both cautious and aggressive hackers. CD Projekt Red’s own Hack-&-Slash Netrunner build demonstrates that netrunning can be combined with close-range combat rather than functioning only as a remote stealth strategy.
Cool
Cool favors stealth, precision, and controlled attacks.
Its branches support weapons and tactics such as pistols, sniper and precision rifles, thrown weapons, and stealth-focused play. It works well for players who prefer choosing targets carefully rather than rushing directly into every encounter.
Cool does not require permanent stealth. Its weapon-focused perks can also support direct combat, making it useful for gunslinger and precision-shooter builds.
How the Five Skill Progression Paths Work
Skills are not additional Attribute trees. They form a separate progression system that rewards the activities you actually perform.
| Skill | Broad Focus |
|---|---|
| Headhunter | Precision attacks, stealth, and related combat actions |
| Netrunner | Quickhacking and netrunning |
| Shinobi | Mobility and agile combat |
| Solo | Heavy, forceful, and close-range combat |
| Engineer | Technical equipment, cyberware, and related combat |
Each Skill can reach level 60. Passive rewards unlock as you progress, including bonuses at five-level intervals.
Importantly, Skill progression is not capped by the corresponding Attribute. You can therefore gain levels in a Skill through your actions without first raising a particular Attribute to the same level.
This creates a useful “learning by doing” layer beneath the perk system. Your Attributes represent deliberate build decisions, while your Skill progression also reflects the way you actually play.
What Is the Phantom Liberty Relic Skill Tree?
Players who own Phantom Liberty receive access to another progression system: the Relic tree.
The Relic tree is not a sixth Attribute. It exists separately from Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence, and Cool and is unlocked through the expansion.
Its abilities enhance specialized combat options and certain cyberware-related capabilities. Progress requires Relic points rather than ordinary Attribute points, so choosing a Relic ability does not replace investment in your regular perk trees.
If you only own the base game, you can simply build around the five normal Attributes and five Skills without worrying about Relic progression.
Which Attribute Tree Should You Choose?
The easiest way to choose a starting Attribute is to think about what you want V to do during a typical encounter.
| If You Want To… | Consider Starting With |
|---|---|
| Hack enemies and control fights with quickhacks | Intelligence |
| Use blades and move quickly between enemies | Reflexes |
| Fight aggressively and withstand heavy damage | Body |
| Build heavily around cyberware and technical equipment | Technical Ability |
| Use stealth, pistols, thrown weapons, or precision shooting | Cool |
Do not worry about finding a universally superior tree. The better question is which tree gives you abilities you will regularly use.
A player who enjoys hacking will gain much more from Intelligence than from copying a powerful melee build. Someone who wants to fight with a katana will get more immediate value from Reflexes than from investing heavily in perks built around weapons they rarely equip.
Example Attribute Combinations
Once your primary playstyle is established, secondary Attributes can fill gaps or strengthen its advantages.
- Reflexes + Technical Ability: useful for mobile characters who want blades, movement, and extensive cyberware support.
- Body + Technical Ability: fits durable, chrome-heavy characters using powerful close-range weapons.
- Intelligence + Technical Ability: gives netrunners access to strong hacking tools while supporting cyberware-heavy character building.
- Cool + Reflexes: can combine precision or stealth with stronger mobility.
- Intelligence + Body: can give an aggressive netrunner more survivability when combat moves into close range.
These are examples rather than fixed formulas. CD Projekt Red’s own developer builds combine Attributes in different ways depending on the intended weapons, cyberware, and combat loop.
The useful principle is to invest with a purpose. Unlock the perks that make your main playstyle work before distributing points across several unrelated trees.
Can You Reset Attributes and Perks?
Yes, but Attributes and perks have different reset rules.
| Progression Type | Can You Change It? |
|---|---|
| Individual perks | Yes. Perk points can be refunded individually for free outside combat. |
| Attributes | Yes, but the game provides one Attribute reset. |
| Skill Progression | Develops separately through gameplay rather than normal point allocation. |
Because perk points are flexible, you can experiment with different abilities as your weapons or tactics change.
Attribute choices deserve more planning. Avoid spending the one-time reset simply because you dislike an individual perk; refund that perk instead. The Attribute reset is more valuable when you want to significantly change the direction of the entire build.
Common Skill Tree Mistakes to Avoid
Using a pre-2.0 build guide
The progression system was substantially redesigned in Update 2.0. Older articles and videos may show different perk layouts, Skills, or build assumptions. Check whether a guide covers the current system before following it.
Confusing Skills with Attributes
Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence, and Cool are Attributes. Headhunter, Netrunner, Shinobi, Solo, and Engineer are Skills. The two systems interact with your playstyle but progress differently.
Spreading Attribute points without a goal
Putting points everywhere may delay access to the higher-tier perks that give a build its identity. Early specialization can make your character’s strengths clearer before you begin adding secondary options.
Ignoring cyberware when planning a build
Cyberware is an important part of character building in the current system, not merely a collection of small bonuses. Consider how your cyberware, perks, weapons, and Attributes work together rather than planning each one separately.
Copying a build without considering how it plays
A build can be powerful and still feel wrong for you. Look at the actions a build expects you to repeat—quickhacking, dashing, sneaking, firing heavy weapons, or fighting in melee—and decide whether that combat loop actually sounds enjoyable.
Use the Official Cyberpunk 2077 Build Planner
One of the easiest ways to avoid wasting Attribute points is to experiment before committing them in-game.
CD Projekt Red’s official Cyberpunk 2077 Build Planner lets you map out Attributes and perks in a browser. It includes the base-game progression trees as well as the Phantom Liberty Relic tree.
The planner is particularly useful when deciding whether a secondary Attribute is worth the investment. Instead of adding points first and hoping the later perks are useful, you can identify the abilities you actually want and work backward from their requirements.
Build Around the Way You Want to Play
The Cyberpunk 2077 skill tree is much easier to understand when its progression systems are kept separate. Attributes determine the broad direction of your character. Perk points unlock specific abilities within those Attribute trees. Skills develop independently as your actions earn Skill XP, while Phantom Liberty adds the separate Relic tree.
Start by choosing the combat style you expect to use most often. Invest deeply enough to unlock the perks that make that style work, then add secondary Attributes that solve a real problem or strengthen an important part of the build.
There is plenty of room to experiment, especially because individual perks can be refunded. A clear direction matters more than copying someone else’s supposedly perfect build.
