Cyberware is an important gameplay element in Cyberpunk 2077, defining your build and playstyle just as much - if not more - than even your attributes and perks, especially now that cyberware is no longer shackled to said stats. Installing cyberware can give you rechargeable healing, the ability to double jump, access to built-in weaponry like Gorilla Arms, Monowires and Mantis Blades, allow you to quickhack, enter berserk mode, slow down time and boost a variety of stats from max RAM, health, carrying capacity and more. Perhaps most importantly, as of patch 2.0 cyberware is now the greatest contributor to your Armor stat. While one limitation was removed for Patch 2.0, another was added, as now the amount of chrome you can graft onto your skin suit is limited by your Cyberware Capacity.
On this page we’ll explain how Cyberware Capacity works and how to increase your Cyberware Capacity via shards, perks, and good old fashioned leveling in Cyberpunk 2077.
(1 of 3) You’ll find the Cyberware Capacity meter on the left side of the Cyberware screen.
What is Cyberware Capacity in Cyberpunk Patch 2.0¶
As of Patch 2.0, you’ll now have more cyberware slots to make use of (the exact number may vary depending on what perks you have unlocked), and cyberware no longer requires you to meet any attribute thresholds like in previous versions of the game. Instead, the amount of cybernetics you can have installed at a time are limited by your Cyberware Capacity stat, which you can view on the right side of the screen while in the Cyberware menu. This is represented by a series of yellow bars that tick up as you add more cyberware; each piece of cyberware takes up varying amounts of Cyberware Capacity, as indicated by yellow numbers on the cyberware’s datasheet.
This is not remotely even between different bits of cyberware, and generally larger, more intrusive bits of cyberware consume more Cyberware Capacity - be especially sure to keep an eye on iconic-tier cyberware, especially the new stuff sold in Dogtown, as they often come with a significant Cyberware Capacity cost… albeit with substantial boons to make such a burden tempting. You can uninstall and reinstall cyberware freely at a Ripperdoc (once you own a piece of cyberware it’s functionally just any other equipment, save that you need a Ripperdoc to swap it out) should you need to make space for something new/better, but you cannot exceed your Cyberware Capacity unless you have purchased the Edgerunner perk.
How to Increase Your Cyberware Capacity¶
Given how powerful cyberware is, naturally you’ll want to cram as much of it under your skin as possible, and to that end, you’ll always be on the lookout for more Cyberware Capacity. Fortunately this threshold increases fairly regularly via multiple means, as follows:
- Leveling up
- Purchasing the Renaissance Punk or Edgerunner perks
- Finding Cyberware Capacity Shards
Cyberware Capacity per Level¶
A fresh-faced V will start the game with 24 Cyberware Capacity, and this will generally increase by 3 points per level, up to a maximum of 201 Cyberware Capacity at level 60. This is the more reliable, commitment-free way of boosting your Cyberware Capacity, but it’s also a gradual process and aside from running around gunning down thugs or completing gigs and side quests, it’s not really a solution for short-term needs.
(1 of 3) The Edgerunner perk will give you +50 Cyberware Capacity, at the expense of max health,
Renaissance Punk, All Things Cyber and Edgerunner Perks¶
If leveling up isn’t fast enough for your needs, you can always try to invest in some perks that boost Cyberware Capacity. There are two such perks that accomplish this, the Renaissance Punk and Edgerunner perks, both of which are in the Technical Ability tree. The first, Renaissance Punk, requires you to have 9 points in Technical Ability, while the latter, Edgerunner, requires a maxed out Technical Ability score of 20. In addition, you must first purchase two ranks of All Things Cyber to access Renaissance Punk, which is still a far sight better than the requirements (two ranks in All Things Cyber and three ranks in License to Chrome) that Edgerunner demands.
Renaissance Punk will give you +4 Cyberware Capacity for each attribute score that’s 9 or more, which, of course, won’t likely give you much benefit at all until your level is quite high (unless you’re just boosting everything up to 9, in which case you’ll achieve max benefit around level 25~). The Edgerunner perk, on the other hand, will give you +50 Cyberware Capacity, albeit at the expense of -0.5% max health for every point your Cyberware Capacity exceeds its normal limits (up to -25% max health). This potential is marked on your Cyberware Capacity meter by some red ticks so you can always see the promise offered by this perk.
Finally, you can invest in the All Things Cyber perk (two ranks) to get a boon that reduces Cyberware Capacity cost for cyberweare in the integumentary system and skeleton by 20%. Granted, there are some capacity-hungry cyberware in these categories (especially the Chitin, Endomorphic Skeleton, Peripheral Inverse and Rara Avis cyberware) and some of these contribute a great deal to your Armor. If you want to max out your cyberware and are high-level enough, this perk could easily save you Cyberware Capacity equal to what Renaissance Punk offers, and unlike Edgerunner it doesn’t make you easier to kill.
Reaching Lv10 and Lv30 in Engineering will also increase your Cyberware Capacity.
Engineer Skills¶
Leveling is one way to boost your Cyberware Capacity, but you can also make some limited Cyberware Capacity gains by increasing your Engineering skill, which likely entails earning EXP and leveling up, but knowing about this can help maximize your gains. You’ll gain +5 Cyberware Capacity at Engineering Lv10 and +10 Cyberware Capacity at Engineering Lv30. You can level up your Engineering skill by performing various actions, including:
- Defeat enemies with tech weapons (especially when charged)
- Defeat enemies with grenades and projectile launch cyberware
- Defeat enemies with elemental damage/damage over time
- Overload hostile turrets, drones, etc.
- Disassemble weapons and clothing
- Craft items
Cyberware Capacity Shards¶
If you want to boost your Cyberware Capacity without expending perk points or leveling up, you’re not left with many options. Fortunately one of those options is finding Cyberware Capacity Shards. These devices - dropped randomly by enemies or found in various containers throughout Night City and its environs - will boost your Cyberware Capacity when collected. Unfortunately they’re not terribly common and there aren’t guaranteed drop locations, so you’ll just have to be vigilant, search, scrounge and kill… ironically things that will generally result in you leveling up.
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