Cyberpunk 2077: The Best Cyberware Upgrades
The best Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberware upgrades let you double jump, slow down time, shoot rockets from your wrists, and more.
Cyberpunk 2077‘s character upgrade system includes perks, attributes, mods, and more, but you’re never going to get the most out of this game’s upgrade options if you don’t explore the wonderful, and sometimes confusing, world of Cyberware upgrades.
Cyberware upgrades are a key part of the character-building experience in Cyberpunk 2077, but many players may end up overlooking it due to both the confusing nature of the system itself and the lingering worry that you can somehow choose the “wrong” Cyberware upgrade.
While it’s not really possible to choose a strictly wrong upgrade, you can take a lot of the guesswork out of Cyberpunk 2077‘s Cyberware system by checking out our guide on Cyberware basics and a quick look at the best Cyberware pieces to install.
What is Cyberware in Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberware allows you to upgrade your Cyberpunk 2077 character with a variety of statistical boosts and new abilities. Each part of your body can accommodate a limited number of Cyberware components specifically designed for that region.
Cyberware is essentially an extension of the game’s perk system (many implants even require a minimum number of attribute points) but tends to be a little more valuable at times due to both the power level of individual Cyberware pieces and the fact that you can relatively easily swap implants in and out based on your needs.
How Do I Acquire and Install New Cyberware in Cyberpunk 2077?
Like most of the other equipment in Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberware can be bought, found, or earned by completing certain missions.
That brings us to Ripperdocs. Along with being the primary vendors of Cyberware, you won’t be able to install a new piece of Cyberware unless you visit one of the Ripperdocs found throughout Night City and the Badlands. Just be warned that purchasing and installing Cyberware is one of the most expensive activities in the game. You’re going to want to be careful with which pieces you choose to install unless you want to watch your bank account implode every time you visit a Ripperdoc.
What Is the Best Cyberware in Cyberpunk 2077?
“Best” is kind of subjective in this category considering that some Cyberware effects are only useful to players pursuing specific types of character builds.
Having said that, we can easily recommend a few pieces of Cyberware based either on their unique attributes or their general effectiveness (or, in a couple of cases, both). While the rarest version of each of these components is always the best, don’t be afraid to settle for a lower-tier version of the best Cyberware implants while you earn the extra eddies for the best of the best.
Bioconductor
Effect: Reduces all cyberware cooldowns by 20%.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson
Considering that some of Cyberpunk 2077‘s best Cyberware utilizes some kind of cooldown period, it’s incredibly valuable to be able to universally reduce cooldowns by 20%. You can obviously skip this one if you’re not planning on installing too many cooldown components.
Biomonitor
Effect: Instantly restores 50% Health when Health drops to 15% (180 sec. cooldown).
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson
While this piece’s three-minute cooldown can be a bit rough, this is one of the key components for players interested in building a nearly unkillable V.
Bioplastic Blood Vessels
Effect: Increases Health regen outside of combat by 2 points per second.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside and Northwest of Kabuki)
This is a generally useful Cyberware piece that has the potential to break the game if it’s paired with the right combination of perks that boost your regen abilities. At the very least, it helps you bounce from fight to fight with minimal downtime.
Fortified Ankles
Effect: Hold the jump button to charge a powerful leap.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside, Northwest of Kabuki, North of Kabuki)
There’s actually a couple of directions you can go in when you’re looking for leg implants, but it’s hard to argue against the long-term value of Fortified Ankles. While this mod won’t let you leap tall buildings in a single bound, you’d be surprised by how many navigation options it opens up.
Gorilla Arms
Effect: Gorilla Arms charge with each attack. When you perform a Strong Attack, they deal bonus damage based on the charge level. Gorilla Arms also allow you to force open locked doors and rip turrets from their bases.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside, Northwest of Kabuki, North of Kabuki)
One of the coolest pieces of Cyberware in the game is a near necessity for pure melee builds, but its real value may lie in how it allows you to enjoy some of the fringe benefits of strength-focused characters without having to fully commit to that playstyle.
Heal-On-Kill
Effect: Instantly restores 10% Health after defeating an enemy.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside, North of Kabuki)
For melee and gunslinger builds (especially Cold Blooded builds) this piece of Cyberware makes life much easier. When combined with the proper series of weapons, perks, and augmentations, this ability makes it easier than ever to leave a battle virtually unscathed.
Heat Converter
Effect: When affected by Burn, instead of receiving damage from it, you deal 10% more damage.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northwest of Kabuki)
Burn attacks are among the most annoying things to deal with in Cyberpunk 2077, so being able to ignore them is reason enough to pursue this implant. The fact you get a damage boost on top of that effect is just insane.
Lynx Paws
Effect: Allows you to move and run more quietly. The sound of your footsteps will not carry as far.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northwest of Kabuki)
Cyberpunk 2077‘s bugs can make stealth gameplay more difficult than it should be, but you can negate the impact of those technical shortcomings somewhat with this piece of Cyberware that greatly reduces the noise you make.
Mantis Blades
Effect: Mantis Blades allow you to slice and dice your enemies with swift, deadly slashes. They also unlock the ability to leap towards a target and deal massive damage.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside, Northwest of Kabuki, North of Kabuki)
Granted, Mantis Blades aren’t actually your “best in slot” option, but they’re cool enough to pursue if you don’t intend on regularly using anything else that would occupy the same slot.
Memory Boost
Effect: Defeating an enemy instantly recovers 2 cyberdeck RAM units.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside)
This isn’t the flashiest ability, but it does make it much easier to pursue more aggressive hacking builds. Even those who only occasionally use hacking might be able to get some mileage out of this one.
Microgenerator
Effect: When your Health drops to 15%, release an electroshock that deals damage equal to 20% of the target enemy’s max Health.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside)
Your health drops fast in Cyberpunk 2077, so you might as well make the most of it. While generally useful, this implant is particularly effective at harder difficulty levels.
Militech “Falcon” Sandevistan
Effect: Activate to slow time by 70% for 20 seconds. While active, Crit Chance +20%, Crit Damage +35%, and Damage +15% (30 second cooldown).
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Heywood
This is absolutely one of the best pieces of Cyberware in the game for any combat builds. The effect is powerful enough on its own, but it’s that surprisingly generous 30-second cooldown that makes this a real game-changer.
Monowire
Effect: The Monowire charges when equipped but not used in combat. Attacks with a charged wire deal bonus damage based on the charge level. Charge level and bonus damage dealt decline with each attack.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside, Northwest of Kabuki, North of Kabuki)
This unique piece of equipment is somewhat difficult to understand, but it can be incredibly useful for stealth players looking to perform burst damage attacks in a pinch. It’s also pretty handy for “fist” melee players as this item’s effectiveness is based on the Body and Cool attributes rather than blades.
Projectile Launch System
Effect: The Projectile Launcher allows you to unleash various powerful projectiles, dealing various types of damage, causing explosions, and applying status effects.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside, Northwest of Kabuki, North of Kabuki)
It may not be the most practical upgrade in Cyberpunk 2077, but in terms of fun and the “cool” factor, this is absolutely one of the best pieces of Cyberware in the game. You may even find that this implant greatly increases your damage output when used effectively.
Reinforced Tendons
Effect: Press “Jump” while in midair to perform a double jump.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside, Northwest of Kabuki, North of Kabuki)
The other major leg implant in the game allows you to perform a quick double-jump. It doesn’t have quite as much upside as the ability offered by Fortified Ankles, but its a little easier to use in a pinch and generally makes navigation more fun.
Second Heart
Effect: Instantly restores 100% of max Health when your Health falls to 0 (120 second cooldown).
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Heywood
This implant is useful on its own, but it’s possible to use this as the core component of a build that makes it nearly impossible to die during typical combat situations. Even if you don’t pursue that style of play, this piece is one of the most valuable “safeguards” in the game.
Self-ICE
Effect: Negates effects of enemy quickhacks (45 second cooldown).
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside)
This surprisingly cheap piece of Cyberware certainly isn’t the most exciting implant in the game, but it does eliminate one of the most annoying mechanics in Cyberpunk 2077. You should certainly consider this if you’re looking for utility implants to fill empty slots.
Smart Link
Effect: Allows you to use the smart-targeting module in Smart weapons. Directly links the user’s optical implant to the weapon’s system, offering real-time data-tracking.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northside, Northwest of Kabuki, North of Kabuki)
Honestly, this effect should probably be activated by default (or be tied to a perk), but if you want to be able to properly use Cyberpunk 2077‘s smart weapons, you’re going to have to install this at some point. You can obviously skip this one if you’re focusing on melee or hacking builds.
Subdermal Armor
Effect: Increases Armor by 200.
Where to Get It: Ripperdoc in Watson (Northwest of Kabuki)
Yes, this is the most “boring” piece of Cyberware that we’re recommending on this list, but that doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. Not only is the extra armor useful in all combat situations, but having extra armor makes it easier to choose clothing based on looks rather than slight defensive boosts.
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Matthew Byrd is Games Editor at Den of Geek and an entertainment enthusiast living in Brooklyn. When he's not exploring the culture of video games, he's…