Cyberpunk 2077 is CD Projekt Red's open-world RPG set in the dystopian Night City, where you play as V. A mercenary with a digital ghost of Keanu Reeves stuck in their head. After the massive 2.0 Update and Phantom Liberty expansion, the game was completely overhauled with reworked skill trees, new police system, vehicle combat, and cyberware capacity limits. The game now features some of the best first-person RPG combat available, with builds ranging from invisible netrunner hackers to chrome-loaded melee berserkers.
This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skippy | Any build, especially Reflexes-focused | A talking smart pistol found in an alleyway in Vista Del Rey. |
| Widow Maker | Techie / Technical Ability builds | An iconic tech precision rifle obtained from Nash during the Panam questline. |
| Overwatch | Nomad / Cool-Reflexes stealth builds | Panam's iconic suppressed sniper rifle given to you during her questline. |
| Comrade's Hammer | Techie / Technical Ability one-shot builds | A tech revolver that fires one shot per cylinder but that shot does absolutely massive damage and penetrates walls. |
| Erebus | Solo or hybrid Netrunner-combat builds | An iconic SMG added in the Phantom Liberty expansion, obtained in Dogtown. |
S-Tier: Skippy
A talking smart pistol found in an alleyway in Vista Del Rey. It auto-aims at heads or legs depending on your initial choice (picks the opposite after 50 kills). One of the most fun weapons in the game with full voice acting and a quest tied to returning it to its owner.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Any build, especially Reflexes-focused |
| Key Mechanic | cyberware upgrades |
| Recommended Build | Netrunner |
See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Skippy: Pairs naturally with Netrunner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Widow Maker
An iconic tech precision rifle obtained from Nash during the Panam questline. It fires two charged shots that can penetrate walls and apply poison. The charge mechanic means each shot hits extremely hard, making it one of the best sniping weapons.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Techie / Technical Ability builds |
| Key Mechanic | quickhacking |
| Recommended Build | Solo |
Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Widow Maker: Pairs naturally with Solo thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Overwatch
Panam's iconic suppressed sniper rifle given to you during her questline. It has built-in silencer, making it the best stealth sniper. Deals massive headshot damage and doesn't alert enemies on kill. Cannot be bought, only earned through the main Panam storyline.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Nomad / Cool-Reflexes stealth builds |
| Key Mechanic | vehicle combat |
| Recommended Build | Techie |
Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Overwatch: Pairs naturally with Techie thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Comrade's Hammer
A tech revolver that fires one shot per cylinder but that shot does absolutely massive damage and penetrates walls. Found from a specific NCPD scanner hustle in Arroyo. With Technical Ability perks, a single charged shot can deal 50,000+ damage.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Techie / Technical Ability one-shot builds |
| Key Mechanic | crafting system |
| Recommended Build | Nomad |
Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Comrade's Hammer: Pairs naturally with Nomad thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Erebus
An iconic SMG added in the Phantom Liberty expansion, obtained in Dogtown. It fires incredibly fast, generates quickhack uploads on hit, and combines with Sandevistan for bullet-time spraying. One of the best weapons for hybrid combat/hacking builds.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best For | Solo or hybrid Netrunner-combat builds |
| Key Mechanic | skill progression |
| Recommended Build | Corpo |
Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Erebus: Pairs naturally with Corpo thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Watson
- Widow Maker → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Overwatch → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Skippy → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Invest in Body early for survivability. The Adrenaline Rush perk at Body 15 gives passive health regeneration in combat that trivializes most encounters.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
Similar Games
If you enjoy Cyberpunk 2077, check out these related guides:
- Elden Ring Weapons Guide: rpg game with similar mechanics
