What Cyberpunk 2077's Build Planner Reveals About Revamped Character Progression

CD Projekt Red recently released a Build Planner for Cyberpunk 2077, allowing players a jump start on preparing their character for the game’s 2.0 launch on September 21st. The planner features the 2.0 update’s totally revamped character progression, which ditches the old, complex system in favor of a simpler, more intuitive approach.

In short, there are less perks, but each individual perk offers far more, in either features or in raw numbers. For example, one of the first Reflexes perks you can unlock in the new system allows you to reload while sprinting, sliding and vaulting — a comparably placed perk on the old tree only granted 10% reduced reload time for handguns.

Meanwhile, Technical Ability tree got some noticeable upgrades: Pyromania branch will give a fiery edge to your explosives, already boosted by perks like Glutton for War that will recharge your explosives with each kill. On the other hand, don’t expect any more of the endless stacks of overpowered Cold Blood — Cool tree perks has been split into different groups of boosts that no longer buff all of your stats at once as you dispatch your enemies.

cyberpunk 2077 technical tree upgraded for grenades cool tree and cold blood nerfed 1024x638 jpg — Doesn’t have the same ring to it as boosting all resistances, unbreakable armor, ultra attack and hack speed, and instant headshots, but we will cope

If you want to see all of the new Perks as a list (makes it easier to search!), check out our Character Perks Guide, updated for 2.0 and Phantom Liberty.

Perks no longer appear to require grinding out Skills in order to unlock points, although the new progression system hasn’t yet been revealed.

There’s also a completely new system exclusive to the Phantom Liberty expansion in the Relic Tree: these powerful perks unlock new abilities, either in your base kit or for your cyberware. Unlike Perks, the system is designed for you to eventually unlock all of them, so the only real choice is what cool new abilities you’ll unlock first.

If you’re in the middle of a playthrough when 2.0 drops, you’ll get a one-time chance to redistribute all of your Attribute Points, to allow you a chance to adapt your build to the new system. Cooler yet is the fact that Perk points can be redistributed “at any point outside of combat” — it sounds like you’ll no longer be locked into your choices as far as Perks go.

Already planning a sweet new build for Update 2.0? Let us know in the comments!