Best Cyberpunk 2077 Mods in 2026: Graphics, Gameplay, Romance and Optimization

The best Cyberpunk 2077 mods in 2026: we have collected modifications for graphics, FPS optimization, appearance, gameplay, vehicles, weapons, and romances, with support for the current 2.31 patch.

Mods have long since turned the rough 2020 release of Cyberpunk 2077 into an exemplary action RPG, and after the 2.x updates and the release of Phantom Liberty, into a huge sandbox that the community continues to expand. We have collected the best modifications and divided them into categories: installation tools, graphics and optimization, appearance, gameplay, vehicles, weapons, romances, and Russian voice acting. This should make it easier to build your own ideal version of Night City.

Many modifications can be installed through Vortex, but the manager does not remove the need to read the project description and check its dependencies. With manual installation, the contents of the archive are usually extracted into the Cyberpunk 2077 root folder while preserving the folder structure. Cyber Engine Tweaks, RED4ext, redscript, ArchiveXL, TweakXL, Codeware, and other libraries are needed only for mods that list them as requirements.

Many major Cyberpunk 2077 modifications use shared libraries and loaders. They allow scripts to run, plugins to be loaded, items to be added, and settings to be displayed in the interface. You do not need to install the entire set at once. It is enough to install the dependencies listed on the page of the mod you have chosen. After a game update, frameworks should also be updated first.

Cyber Engine Tweaks (CET) is a framework with Lua script support, an in-game console, and an overlay. It is required for many interface and gameplay mods, and also allows you to use console commands. Only install the current version of CET that is compatible with the game's latest patch.

RED4ext is an extension for REDengine 4 and a loader for native plugins. It allows modifications to add new features, change game behavior, and expand scripting capabilities. RED4ext is not required for every project, but it is a mandatory dependency for many modern libraries and mods.

redscript is a compiler for custom Cyberpunk 2077 scripts. It allows mods to change game logic and is required for many projects written in REDscript. After updating the game or other dependencies, check whether the current version of redscript is compatible.

ArchiveXL allows mods to add new archive resources and game records without directly replacing original content. TweakXL is used to add and modify TweakDB records. These libraries are often required for clothing, weapon, and item mods, but installation requirements vary: some projects need only one of them, while others require both.

Codeware is a library for creating mods based on redscript and Cyber Engine Tweaks. It expands the functions available to developers and is required by many modern projects. Installing Codeware separately makes sense only if it is listed as a required dependency.

Native Settings UI adds a separate section to the game's menu with settings for compatible mods. Through it, developers can display sliders, toggles, and other options that would otherwise have to be changed in configuration files or through a separate overlay. The modification is useful only for projects that support its interface.

Night City looks gorgeous even without mods, but these modifications can improve the visuals while helping maintain a stable frame rate. Some rework textures and lighting, others adjust path tracing and image scaling, while others reduce system load. Such mods are especially useful on mid-range PCs, where balancing visual quality and performance is important.

HD Reworked Project 2.0 is one of the largest graphics mods for Cyberpunk 2077. The author reworked many textures, including asphalt, graffiti, tree bark, walls, trash, and other environmental details. As a result, Night City looks noticeably more detailed up close, while the performance impact remains relatively small. It is a great choice for players who want better graphics without a major FPS hit.

Ultra Plus fine-tunes path tracing and Ray Reconstruction. The mod offers a set of presets that make lighting more stable and cleaner, reduce noise and blur, and in some cases increase FPS compared to the standard path tracing mode. It is a good way to improve lighting quality while making the game run more smoothly.

OAI Tweaks Suite is a set of configuration tweaks aimed at improving stability, reducing latency, and making frame pacing more consistent. The result depends on your CPU, GPU, storage drive, and selected settings, so the mod does not guarantee a universal FPS boost. Before installation, we recommend backing up the original configuration files and comparing performance in identical scenes.

NOVA LUT changes the color grading table and tone mapping, making the game's palette more natural and contrast-rich. ReShade presets work separately and apply their own post-processing effects over the image. You should combine both options only while taking into account the authors' recommendations, load order, and selected HDR or SDR mode.

You can find ReShade presets on a dedicated page of our website.

No Intro Videos removes the logo splash screens when launching the game and saves a few seconds on every startup. The mod is especially useful for players who often restart Cyberpunk 2077 while configuring and testing a mod build. It is a simple convenience modification that you install once and then forget about.

The standard character editor is fairly limited, and so is V's clothing selection. These mods let you change your appearance at any time, add hundreds of wardrobe items and hairstyles, and help create looks for Photo Mode. They often require the frameworks from the first category, but the result is noticeable immediately after installation.

Appearance Menu Mod (AMM) is a large tool for working with characters, vehicles, and staged scenes. It lets you spawn NPCs and objects, change their appearance variants, control poses, time of day, and other settings. The mod is especially useful for Photo Mode and requires Cyber Engine Tweaks, while some functions also depend on additional libraries.

ArchiveXL-based clothing mods add new clothing items without necessarily replacing standard models. How you obtain them depends on the specific project: items may be sold in virtual stores, given through the console, or added to the inventory in another way. Before installation, check the requirements for ArchiveXL, TweakXL, Equipment-EX, and Virtual Atelier.

Hairstyle mods expand the available selection with new cuts and styles. Some projects replace existing options, while others add separate entries through additional frameworks. Compatibility with male and female V body types, headwear, and other mods should be checked on the page of each specific modification.

Ready-made presets save a set of character editor parameters and let you quickly recreate a version of V prepared by another player. Some options use only standard settings, while others require additional skin, eye, hair, body, or cyberware mods. The full list of dependencies is usually listed on the project page.

These mods change not the graphics, but the feel of the game itself: they make Night City more responsive, remove tired conventions such as level restrictions, and strengthen immersion. With them, the world stops feeling like simple scenery and starts reacting more actively to the player's actions, while the playthrough feels fresher even on a second or third run.

Immersive First Person changes the first-person camera position and makes V's body more visible during regular movement. The mod does not turn every scene or vehicle control into a full first-person experience, and its behavior depends on camera settings and compatibility with the current game version. When creating a new build, it is also worth comparing it with more modern camera extensions.

New Level Cap raises the character level cap from 60 to 80 and adjusts related restrictions for vendors and loot. It should not be confused with separate projects that change enemy scaling. Before installation, we recommend checking compatibility with other leveling, economy, and balance mods.

Night City Alive adds gang members and bikers to road traffic, makes civilians more aggressive, and expands their reactions to the player's crimes and gang activity. The mod also changes relationships between gangs and police behavior toward certain factions. Phantom Liberty and REDmod are required for installation, and compatibility with other traffic, crowd, and police mods should be checked separately.

NCPD Prevention Police Enhancement adjusts the wanted system: it changes the conditions for reinforcement spawns, police reactions to gunfire and crimes near civilians, and certain pursuit parameters. It is not a full replacement for the police system, so the result depends on the selected files and compatibility with other mods. The old Enhanced Police should not be recommended for a current build, since its last version was released before the police overhaul in Update 2.0.

Immersive HUD hides unnecessary interface elements and shows them only when needed: the minimap while driving, health bars in combat, and a clean screen the rest of the time. This makes the image look more cinematic and improves immersion. The settings allow you to choose separately which elements should be hidden or kept on screen.

This modification is a set of cheats, from god mode to killing a specific NPC. Codes can be activated with hotkeys.

Installation steps:

Driving is one of the mechanics the original game never quite perfected. These mods rework car and motorcycle physics, and some even add the ability to fly. With them, trips through Night City and the Badlands turn from a necessity into a separate form of entertainment.

Sunday Driver: Drive It Like You Stole It Edition changes the handling of cars, motorcycles, and heavy vehicles when playing with a keyboard or controller. The mod adjusts road grip, body roll, collisions, and other physics parameters, but the result remains subjective and may vary depending on the vehicle. AutoDrive from Update 2.3 handles automatic driving and does not replace manual handling modifications.

Let There Be Flight adds a flight mode for supported vehicles, along with related animations, effects, and sounds. Controls and parameters can be configured, but the mod requires several libraries and may conflict with other vehicle overhauls. Before installation, check the current version and dependency list.

Enhanced Vehicle System expands vehicle control options: it lets you separately control the engine, headlights, doors, windows, trunk, hood, and several other elements. The state of available systems is saved after V leaves the vehicle. The mod does not change driving physics, so it can be combined with some handling modifications after checking compatibility.

This upgrade lets you install more powerful engines on cars, improve suspension, brakes, and other parts.

Weapons and cyberware are the foundation of V's combat style, and these mods significantly expand the available options. New guns, additional settings for iconic abilities, and extra implant slots let you build a character for any playstyle, from a stealthy netrunner to a katana-wielding berserker.

Weapon mods add new guns and blades or replace models of existing equipment. How they are obtained, their stats, and their impact on balance depend on the specific project: a weapon may be sold in a virtual store, given through the console, appear as loot, or replace a standard item. Before installation, check the requirements and compatibility with mods that change the combat system.

These mods expand time-slowing options: they change duration, cooldown, and the effectiveness of Sandevistan and other cyberware. Thanks to this, you can build a lightning-fast katana setup in the spirit of the cyberninja from the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime. Most of these modifications allow flexible balance tuning, from moderate strengthening to almost unlimited time dilation.

Cyberware mods can add new cyberware elements, change capacity, installation cost, and restrictions for individual slots. Some projects also introduce their own mechanics inspired by cyberpsychosis, which does not exist as a separate system in the base game. Compatibility with mods that rework skills and balance must be checked separately.

Enhanced Craft expands item crafting and allows you to choose additional equipment parameters when crafting. The exact feature set depends on the mod version and selected settings. The project is updated regularly, but before installation, you should still check the requirements and compatibility with other item and economy modifications.

A simple but useful mod that gives you an infinite amount of ammo for all weapon types.

In the original Cyberpunk 2077, machine guns are not the most convenient weapons. They are heavy, not very accurate, and deal too little damage. The Better HMGs mod fixes this issue. After installing it, overheating disappears, reload speed increases, firepower improves, and bullet spread is reduced.

Cyberpunk 2077 allows you to deflect enemy bullets with a katana. However, this action requires a well-timed block. After installing Katana Deflect, you will automatically block all shots flying toward the hero from within their line of sight. No stamina is spent in the process. Note that the sword will not protect you from shots from behind.

This mod lets you customize the appearance of the main character's arms. There are ten variants to choose from, each designed in the style of the original game.

Romance routes in Cyberpunk 2077 depend on V's selected body type and voice, and the requirements differ for each character. Mods and console commands can bypass some restrictions or expand interactions with partners, but they may cause mismatched lines, animations, and forms of address. Before installation, it is especially important to study the project description and the list of known issues.

This mod will also interest players who are building a romantic relationship with Panam Palmer. With it, she behaves more realistically: eating, sleeping, using a mobile phone, and taking a shower. You will also be able to hug her at any time.

This is a full counterpart to the previous mod, but for Judy Alvarez. The main thing is to remember under what condition you can romance her.

Responsive NPCs expands how people around you react to V's actions and appearance. Pedestrians try to clear the road after a horn sound, police pay attention to dangerous driving and open carrying of weapons, and clothing, cyberware, and whether a vehicle belongs to a particular gang affect NPC attitudes.

They Will Remember gives gangs a memory of the player's actions. If V regularly kills members of one gang and lets herself be identified, its representatives begin attacking the hero on the streets, sending revenge squads, and guarding their territory more actively. Stealth, disguise, and changing clothes help avoid pursuit.

This modification adds Russian radio stations to Night City's broadcast lineup. The available options include Humor FM, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Govorit Moskva, and Nashe Radio.

If you like classic jazz in the style of the Fallout series soundtracks, use this mod. As it turns out, 1940s retro music pairs surprisingly well with the neon future shown in Cyberpunk 2077.

Installation steps:

DreamVoice adds Russian voice acting for Phantom Liberty, which did not receive an official dub. The authors combined actor performances with neural voice modeling based on familiar voices, and also added lip-sync and corrected subtitles. The quality of individual lines may vary, and after game updates some phrases may temporarily remain untranslated. You can download the mod from the developers' website.

RadioExt lets you create custom radio stations and add them to the standard Cyberpunk 2077 menu. The user can upload music files, set a station name and icon, then listen to it in a car, through the pocket radio, and on some receivers in Night City. The mod requires Cyber Engine Tweaks and RED4ext.

Below, we answer the main questions about installing mods, their compatibility with the current version of Cyberpunk 2077, and their possible impact on performance. We will also explain whether Phantom Liberty is required and which modifications are best to start a build with.

Many mods can be installed through Vortex, but dependencies still need to be checked on the project page. With manual installation, the contents of the archive are usually extracted into the game's root folder while preserving the folder structure. First, install only the frameworks and libraries listed in the requirements for the selected modification.

Many popular mods and core libraries support version 2.31, but compatibility must be checked for each project separately. After updating the game, update dependencies first, and only then the rest of the modifications. Do not expect a compatible version to necessarily appear within a few days: timing depends on the author.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a single-player game with no competitive multiplayer or anti-cheat, so regular user mods are not connected to any online ban system. The main risks are malicious files, corrupted saves, conflicts between modifications, and incompatibility with updates. Download projects from well-known platforms and back up your saves.

It depends on the mod. Most modifications work with the base game, but some content, especially anything tied to new districts, equipment, and mechanics, is designed for the Phantom Liberty expansion. A mod's Nexus description always states whether the expansion is required.

First, choose your main mod and install only the dependencies listed for it. Native Settings UI is needed only for projects that support it. It is better to start a build with a few modifications and add new ones gradually, checking game launch and saves after each stage.

The impact depends on the specific mod, selected file variant, and amount of video memory. HD Reworked Project offers different quality levels, while Ultra Plus includes presets both for improving the image and boosting performance. There is no guarantee that a modded build will run faster than the standard game. If performance drops, compare FPS and frame time in the same scene, and disable problematic mods one by one.

If you love modding games in general, check out our roundup of the best Minecraft mods. Guides to the best S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 mods and global mods that completely change games are coming. Links will be added once those pages are live.