Cyberpunk 2077’s quickhacks are one of the best parts of the game. Tee sci-fi answer to straight-up sorcery, the game’s Quickhacks give players an added layer of complexity and extra problem-solving tools on top of the more straightforward and familiar FPS gunplay — and is completely optional. For the most part, players can choose to completely disregard the Netrunner playstyle and go straight-up Solo and one-man/woman army the whole game.
But that’s leaving a lot on the table. Quickhacks aren’t just exceptionally creative, extremely satisfying ways to play, they’re also extremely deadly and picking up a few (even if you’re not putting any points into Intelligence) can complement any build — be it a Body/Reflexes Assassin or Crit-Pistol Gunslinger.
Below are the best quickhacks for Cyberpunk 2077, bar none.
Cyberpunk 2077 Best Quickhacks
Whistle
Whistle is a highly underrated quickhack that is demonstrably OP in the early game. So OP in fact that it can be used to clear out high-level enemy street-camps with zero points in Intelligence (or anything else for that matter). Used intelligently, Whistle lets you break up groups and, with the right amount of maneuvering and stealth, take down enemies one by one without ever firing a shot or swinging a Katana. Stats don’t even come into the equation. It’s low cooldown and RAM cost make it probably the best Quickhack in the early-game and one of the best overall.
Cyberpsychosis
Cyberpsychosis is the most lore-appropriate of the Quickhacks, possibly the most entertaining to watch, and without a doubt one of the most OP quickhacks that any serious Netrunner should be running. Not only does it work like a Fury spell from Skyrim, sending opponents into a mindless rage that gets them attacking their allies, or, if alone, functions exactly like Suicide. The best kind of enemy to use it on is the tankiest among the enemy squad, whether it’s an Ozeki or a melee-wielder with a lot of Body or Evasion. Cyberpsychosis can artfully be used as a hand grenade to break up enemy clusters behind cover and give you an opening to pick everyone off.
Reboot Optics
Another one that won’t leave your arsenal for some time is the Reboot Optics quickhack. While easily overlooked in favor of fancier moves, Reboot Optics — in the right hands — is one of the best quickhacks in the game for its ability to disrupt the flow of combat.
When used in conjunction with the Request Backup quickhack, the Rare version of Reboot Optics “casts” its effect like old-school chain lightning, spreading to nearby enemies. Reboot Optics becomes certifiably OP when you have the Plague and Diffusion perks with the former fully maxed out — this lets you blind whole squads in one, low-cost shot and renders them nothing more than fish in a barrel.
Suicide
A straightforward ultimate, Suicide’s power is pretty self-explanatory: it sends enemies into DIY oblivion with their own weapon. Grim, but effective. What makes Suicide especially useful — not a sentence one generally expects to see — is its ability to essentially delete the most troublesome enemy within a group and leave the rest as nothing but slim pickings, or instantly “resolve” a 1-on-1 conflict.
Weapon Glitch
Weapon Glitch, like Reboot Optics, is certainly useful but typically falls to the wayside as players gravitate towards the more theatrical Quickhacks, like Suicide or Cyberpsychosis. And, again, is a move that becomes almost broken once you’ve invested in the Netrunning perk tree.
Weapon Glitch can spread to other enemies; when empowered by Plague and Diffusion, it allows you to disable the weapons of an entire squad, leaving them helpless to your onslaught. The Epic variant even causes enemy weapons to explode, starting things off with a literal bang and giving you a tremendous advantage over your opponents that’ll let you make quick work of any cluster of enemies, whether it’s Tyger Claws or Arasaka security forces.
System Reset
System Reset might get overlooked as an option reserved for Netrunners less enthused with violence, when its real utility is in fact quite the opposite — the ability to take someone out silently, from afar, without having to aim. Unlike Suicide, Cyberpsychosis, Reboot Options, or Weapon Glitch, using System Reset on a stray enemy takes them out of the equation without alerting their allies. The immense value this provides as an opening gambit is almost unparalleled in complex situations.
A great combo for efficient Netrunners is: System Reset (on stray enemy) > Request Backup (to the rest of the squad) > Weapon Glitch/Reboot Optics > Overheat/Contagion (followed by whatever your preferred followup of choice).
