The Night City of Cyberpunk 2077 is by no means shy and gentle to even most peaceful of its dwellers. Illegal trade and violence saturate the streets and in order to survive you will have to be ready for anything, even betrayal of your closest allies. Powerful Cyberware and weapons punctuate the exchanges that happen in this world, and you will soon have to figure out what tools you can rely on to protect yourself and pave your way through the chaos.
Yet, when everyone owns a ranged weapon, the demand for variety and modifications is high. With so many Types, Classes, and Modifications available, it’s easy to get lost. In this guide we will walk you through everything there is to know for you to feel at home in the dangerous and chaotic Night City. Oh, and maybe blow some cars up on the way and wreak havoc with some heavy machine guns stripped from turrets.
First, we will cover all of the Ranged Weapon Types in Cyberpunk 2077:
Pistols
Revolvers
Assault Rifles
Precision Rifles
Submachine Guns
Sniper Rifles
Shotguns
Double-Barrel Shotguns
Light Machine Guns
Heavy Machine Guns
Along the way we will give you some tips about leveling each type — each gun comes from a group of weapons that are all leveled together, and you will have to use them in the field to improve their accuracy, aiming time, speed, reload time, recoil, sway, and many other aspects. (Yet, some extra planning is in order and we suggest you start with our Character Guides if you haven’t done so already.) Then, we will point out weapon ammo and Class for each, and mention some common characteristics you can expect so that you pick the right gun for the job.
Then, we will cover all three of the Weapon Classes: Power Weapons, Tech Weapons, and Smart Weapons. See, in the futuristic world of cyberpunk you do not have to run around looking for guns that do cool things. Every gun you pick up is already capable of doing something very cool, you just need to know what you are looking at and what to invest into to unlock your gun’s full capabilities.
Ready? Let’s jump right in!
(In order to fill a few gaps in our tips and lists, we borrowed some information from a hardcover copy of Cyberpunk 2077 – The Complete Official Guide by Piggyback.)
Overview and Tips
Making Enemies Drop Melee or Ranged Weapons
Little tip for you: when you encounter groups of enemies or gang members in the city, keep your distance to make them pull out their guns and drop ranged weapons when defeated. On the other hand, you can fight these enemies up close if you want to loot melee weapons from their bodies later.
All Weapon Types
Pistols (Handguns)
Skill: Handguns (Reflexes)
Ammo: Pistol Ammo (500 max in inventory)
Pistols come in semi-automatic and automatic variety. V can carry up to 500 Pistol Ammo, which is also used for Revolvers. Pistols offer the greatest variety of base types in the game and come in many Iconic varieties.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Handguns Skill give exclusive bonuses to Pistols and Revolvers. The two are leveled together.
Slaught-O-Matic (Power Weapon), clip size 36 — No slots
HKJE-11 Yukimura (Smart Weapon), clip size 30 — No slots
Iconic Weapon:Genjiroh. Fires four rounds per shot, can target 6 enemies simultaneously, bullets deal additional electrical damage with a higher chance to apply Shock.
Base Weapon is Iconic Weapon: Johnny Silverhand’s Legendary custom-made pistol. Four mod slots. Increased Crit Chance and headshot damage. Deals thermal damage.
Revolvers (Handguns)
Skill: Handguns (Reflexes)
Ammo: Pistol Ammo (500 max in inventory)
Revolvers deal higher damage and higher headshot damage than Pistols, but their clip capacity is significantly smaller. DR2 Quasar is the only Revolver that can brag about having a sizeable clip size (it has no Iconic version). V can carry up to 500 Pistol Ammo, which is also used for Pistols. There are only four base Revolver types present in the game as of right now.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Handguns Skill give exclusive bonuses to Pistols and Revolvers. The two are leveled together.
Assault Rifles come in full-auto or 3-round-burst varieties, but all deliver high and fast DPS. They can’t be used for extreme ranges but still cover a long distance. V can carry up to 700 Rifle Ammo, which is also used for all Submachine Guns, Light Machine Guns, and all Rifle types, with exception of Sniper Rifles which use unique ammo. There are only five base Assault Rifle types present in the game as of right now.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Assault Skill give exclusive bonuses to Submachine Guns and all Rifle types. These weapons are all leveled together.
Precision Rifles can reach where Assault Rifles can’t, but they still can’t go as far as Sniper Rifles. They can’t be equipped with a Silencer (Muzzle Slot), but do allow for Scopes. V can carry up to 700 Rifle Ammo, which is also used for all Submachine Guns, Light Machine Guns, and all Rifle types, with exception of Sniper Rifles which use unique ammo. There are only two base Precision Rifle types present in the game as of right now.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Assault Skill give exclusive bonuses to Submachine Guns and all Rifle types. These weapons are all leveled together.
Iconic Weapon:Widow Maker. Fires two projectiles per shot. Deals chemical damage with an increased chance to apply Poison. Charged shots deal more damage.
Submachine Guns are short-ranged, but are as fast or even faster than Assault Rifles. If you don’t try to equip long-distance Scopes onto these guns (which they don’t need), you will be able to get into your aiming stance very quickly as well. V can carry up to 700 Rifle Ammo, which is used for all Submachine Guns, Light Machine Guns, and all Rifle types, with exception of Sniper Rifles which use unique ammo. There are only five base Submachine Gun types present in the game as of right now.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Assault Skill give exclusive bonuses to Submachine Guns and all Rifle types. These weapons are all leveled together.
Iconic Weapon:Fenrir. Deals Burn damage, increased chance to apply Burn. High recoil, but reduced bullet spread and increased bullet impact.
Iconic Weapon:Problem Solver. Increased fire rate, larger clip size.
Older Version: 2020 Shigura by Arasaka, comes with lower stats.
TKI-20 Shingen (Smart Weapon), clip size 30 — No slots
Iconic Weapon:Prototype Shingen: Mark V. Explosive rounds. Modified targeting system guides bullets to up to three targets while aiming.
Iconic Weapon:Skippy. Scales to your level. Has a built-in personality AI. Attempts to permanently change into the mode opposite to which you originally set it to. Offers a personal quest. (Read about it in our Cyberpunk 2077 Skippy guide!)
Sniper Rifles are a little special and a little extreme. These Rifles can handle the furthest of targets when using powerful Scopes, but they can’t be equipped with a Silencer (Muzzle Slot). Every shot will deal massive damage and take some time to reload. Nekomata, as a Tech Weapon, can pierce through walls in order to reach your target. Sniper Rifles use unique ammo, of which V can only carry a 100 at a time. There are only three base Sniper Rifle types present in the game as of right now.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Assault Skill give exclusive bonuses to Submachine Guns and all Rifle types. These weapons are all leveled together.
Tip: An easy-to-miss Perk, Cold Blood’s Frozen Precision (Requires 11 in Cool Attribute) increases your headshot damage by 50%.
Nekomata (Tech Weapon), clip size 4 — Scope Slot
Iconic Weapon: Breakthrough. Fires piercing projectiles that can also ricochet.
Ashura (Smart Weapon), clip size 1 — Scope Slot
SPT32 Grad (Power Weapon), clip size 4 — Scope Slot
Double-Barrel Shotguns deal twice as much damage than regular Shotguns on average, but they take twice as much ammo. Their clip size is also significantly smaller, requiring constant reloading. They cannot have any attachments. Double-Barrel Shotguns share Shotgun Ammo with regular Shotguns, which V can only carry 100 of at a time. There are only four base Double-Barrel Shotgun types present in the game as of right now.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Annihilation Skill give many bonuses to Shotguns and Light Machine Guns, along with improved combat maneuverability. These weapons are all leveled together.
DB-2 Satara (Tech Weapon), clip size 2 — No slots
DB-4 Igla (Power Weapon), clip size 2 — No slots
Iconic Weapon:Sovereign. Shoots two rounds simultaneously. Reduced load time and bullet spread.
DB-2 Testera (Power Weapon), clip size 2 — No slots
DB-4 Palica (Smart Weapon), clip size 2 — No slots
Shotguns (Annihilation)
Skill: Annihilation (Body)
Ammo: Shotgun Ammo (100 max in inventory)
Shotguns are great for concentrated shots at short-range and mid-range targets, coming with a high damage multiplier that is offset by the weapon’s slow speed and small clip size. Unlike Double-Barrel Shotguns, some of the regular Shotguns can be equipped with a Scope. Shotguns share Shotgun Ammo with Double-Barrel Shotguns, which V can only carry 100 of at a time. There are only four base Shotgun types present in the game as of right now.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Annihilation Skill give many bonuses to Shotguns and Light Machine Guns, along with improved combat maneuverability. These weapons are all leveled together.
Iconic Weapon: Ba Xing Chong. Fires explosive rounds and rips enemies to shreds.
Light Machine Guns (Annihilation)
Skill: Annihilation (Body)
Ammo: Rifle Ammo (700 max in inventory)
Light Machine Guns come with a great clip size capacity and a very rapid fire rate, although their accuracy isn’t all that great. They require a Body Attribute of at least 6 to be used. V can carry up to 700 Rifle Ammo, which is also used for all Submachine Guns, Light Machine Guns, and all Rifle types, with exception of Sniper Rifles which use unique ammo. There is only a single type of a Light Machine Gun present in the game as of right now which can be equipped with a Silencer (Muzzle Slot) and a Scope.
Leveling: Skill Rewards and Perks coming from Annihilation Skill give many bonuses to Shotguns and Light Machine Guns, along with improved combat maneuverability. These weapons are all leveled together.
Heavy Machine Guns aren’t a weapon that V can loot in the world and keep in her inventory. Heavy Machine Guns are actually stripped Turrets and V needs a high enough Body Attribute to acquire them this way. V can’t sprint while carrying an HMG. V also can’t swap weapons without dropping the HMG first. While only intended for temporary use, Heavy Machine Guns deal very high damage at a high speed and come with a 300 clip size, filled to the brim. However, V will not be able to reload the gun once it runs out of ammo. When 73 rounds of an HMG are fired continuously the gun overheats, unable to fire for a few seconds.
MK.31 HMG (Power Weapon), clip size 300 — No slots
Weapon Classes
All Ranged Weapon types come in three Weapon Classes we describe below: Power Weapons, Tech Weapons, and Smart Weapons. Some of them require cyberware and mods to unlock their full potential while others are greatly improved by a specific Attribute. Still, investing effort and money into them has impressive benefits.
We will discuss their requirements and intricacies below.
Smart Weapons
Fired projectiles automatically find their target within a designated area, helping you quickly take out enemies behind cover or enemies that are moving really fast.
In order to use the main feature of Smart Weapons you will need to install the Smart Link as your Hands Cyberware.
If you have a Smart Link installed as your Hands Cyberware, your Smart Weapon Gun will home in on a targetted enemy automatically. If you are facing extremely agile and fast enemies (for example, ones utilizing Sandevistan and Kerenzikov time-dilation) or trying to get to targets behind cover, Smart Weapons are an excellent choice.
Also, in general, Smart Weapons do most of the job when it comes to aiming for you.
Tip: the Lock and Load Perk under the Engineering Skill (requires Level 9 Technical Ability) increases the Smart Gun reload speed and has two levels.
Tech Weapons
“Can be charged to release a powerful shot.”
Bullets can penetrate covers and walls, making every enemy target that you can either see with your eyes or in your scanner vulnerable to the weapon’s attacks.
Held (charged) attacks deal more damage.
Leveling Engineering and investing into the Skill’s Perks will greatly increase your Tech Weapon speed and damage.
Tech Guns have been professionally modified. They tend to have additional capabilities and secondary firing modes, but their iconic feature is the ability to purse through the covers and walls. They work best when your upgraded ocular sensors can obtain outlines of enemies even when they are in complete cover.
Tip: you can completely change your Tech Weapons game by leveling your Engineering Skill (Technical Ability Attribute). Improvements to charge times and damage, Crit Chance, general damage, and additional bonuses unlocked will make you into an ultimate killing machine that sees no walls or obstacles in its way. For best effects, level a corresponding Skill for a type of a gun you use as your Tech Weapon of choice (see weapon type list above).
Power Weapons
“Bullets can ricochet off surfaces.”
Bullets have a chance to ricochet from surfaces, which helps damage enemies behind cover.
Ricochet chance per shot and per bullet can be improved with a Ballistic Coprocessor Cyberware for Hands.
Trajectory Generator mod for your Kiroshi Optics displays the potential ricochet trajectory.
Power Weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 are probably the closest to what a non-sci-fi gun would be like in the game… except that they can ricochet bullets off of surfaces, of course!
They will probably be the most common Weapon Class you will encounter, but that doesn’t mean that they are not worth investing into. If you aren’t very interested in target-assistance of Smart Weapons, swap your Smart Link for another Hands Cyberware: the Ballistic Coprocessor. This will make your Power Weapon bullets ricochet two more times. Then, install a Trajectory Generator mod for your Kiroshi Optics (their mod slots increase with rarity rank).
Now, shred your enemies into absolute pieces by unleashing your tornado of bullets!
Special: Body Attribute Weapons
A handful of ranged weapons in the game come with a major recoil and knockback when used. This can be suppressed by meeting that weapon’s Body Attribute requirement, usually 6.
Here are the known weapons with this requirement (Body 6):
RT-46 Burya (Revolver, Tech Weapon) — Scope Slot
SOR-22 (Precision Rifle, Power Weapon) — Scope Slot
Oh, before you go! Don’t forget that Ranged Weapons can be customized with both the Attachments and Mods. These affect quite a few things about your weapons, fine-tuning them to their role (think long-distance sniping vs. explosive short-range power), and that’s just the surface of what these little nifty enhancements can do! Certainly check out our guides on Weapon Mods and Ranged Attachments to unlock your weapon’s true potential.
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Mila Grish
Dedicated contributor at EIP Gaming and a part-time collector of books she will never have time to actually read. Jumps on the newest releases just as quickly as on the uncovered dusty collections from the basement. For her, shiny graphics can never be an excuse to not have a polished player experience or an immersive story.
Some excellent guides in here, thank you.
Thank you so much, George!