How to Upgrade Attributes, Skills, and Abilities in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0

In the major update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077, many mechanics have been reworked, so the developers strongly recommend starting the game anew. In this guide, we will thoroughly explore the new branches of passive skills, attributes, and abilities to help you dive into the game faster.

The game features 5 linear skill branches that improve as you use specific abilities. Every five levels, you will receive an additional passive skill that will emphasize and simplify your gameplay style.

This skill determines your combat parameters. As you level up, damage increases and recoil decreases, allowing you to shoot accurately both from the hip and at long distances. To improve — kill enemies using firearms. Headshots will grant you additional points in this branch.

A skill that expands hacking capabilities. At high levels, you will be able to use netrunner abilities more frequently and effectively. To unlock new levels — hack everything possible. Each successful hack, whether in combat or outside, gives you experience in this branch.

The next branch focuses on endurance and speed. Use acrobatic abilities — running, dashes, and climbs, to gain experience in this branch. Besides such activities, you can use katanas in combat for additional experience.

A skill specializing in close combat. Increased carrying capacity, additional damage with fists, increased health pool — all of this can be obtained here. Besides melee combat, you can use shotguns and LMGs to gain additional experience.

A non-combat skill needed for improving modifications and additional survivability. Create consumables, attachments, weapons, or use grenades in combat to gain experience in this branch.

The mechanics of attributes have been reworked, and most of the bonuses have been transferred to passive skills. Additionally, the Biochip attribute has been introduced, which can only be studied and developed in the paid expansion Phantom Liberty. The foundation remains the same — you improve attributes that affect your interaction with the world.

For instance, with a high Strength attribute, you can interact with machines, break open locked doors, or use intimidation. Moreover, the higher the attribute, the more abilities you can learn in a specific branch. When you level up, you will receive 2 attribute points, which you can spend on developing any parameter.

This choice entirely depends on which attributes you decide to develop. The most optimal approach is to maintain a balance and try to improve everything evenly. However, if you prefer a specific playstyle, then it's better to select abilities that suit this preference.

To unlock the entire branch, you need to raise the attribute to level 20. In the screenshots below, you can see the optimal set of abilities that will be offered to you if you start a new game with the Phantom Liberty expansion.

At any moment, you can freely cancel a learned ability and try another, or invest the accumulated points in a different branch. To do this, simply press the middle mouse button (MMB) on the learned ability to return the spent point.

In Cyberpunk 2077, you cannot reset or change your attributes and skills. You will need to start a new story with a new character. There's no point in resetting passive skills since they improve as you perform activities. You can simply develop other skills by using suitable actions in the game.

If you want to experiment with attributes, you can use saves. Save your game once you accumulate 17 unspent attribute points. Why 17? Well, you start with at least 3 points in each attribute tree, and the maximum level is 20. So, if you save 17 points, you'll always have enough to fully develop any attribute and see the outcome.

Just create a save and experiment with leveling up. With each reload, you'll get your attribute points back and can assign them again (but you will also lose all game progress made since that save). This is the simplest way to reset attributes that you can do in Cyberpunk 2077.