Best Assassin Build In Cyberpunk 2077 (2.0)

The world of Cyberpunk 2077 is overrun with gangsters, corrupt cops, cyberpsychos, and other unsavory characters. Crime is a part of everyday life in Night City, and for every criminal, there’s someone who wants them dead. Whether they’re elite mercenaries working for Arasaka or common street toughs desperate for a fistful of eurodollars, assassins are everywhere. Cyberpunk 2077‘s 2.0 update makes it easier than ever to live out your assassin fantasies in CD Projekt Red’s incredible open world. You’ve got a lot of options, and it can be hard to know where to start. Here’s everything you need to know about the best assassin build in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0.

Cyberpunk 2077 Assassin Build Playstyle

What makes the best assassin build so fun is its incredible versatility. Cool Attribute tree Perks buff Precision Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Handguns, and Throwable Weapons, so you can swap between radically different weapons without impacting your lethality. As the name implies, the assassin benefits from taking a stealthy approach, but if you get sick of sneaking around, this build packs enough DPS potential to kill enemies outright. Though Cool is priority number one, this build also features high Intelligence so that you can hack your way into buildings and out of gunfights. Disable the cameras, silence your enemies, and disappear like a ghost.

Attributes

When it comes to Attributes for the best assassin build, nothing is more important than Cool. This Attribute buffs all of the key weapons for this build, enables vital stealth mechanics, and otherwise sets you up to be the ideal killer. As if that weren’t enough, each point put in Cool grants a +1.25% Crit Damage buff. At Level 20, that’s +25% to Crit Damage. You’ll typically be attacking from stealth and benefiting from a variety of other Crit bonuses, so melting enemy health bars won’t be a problem. This is the recommended prioritization for Attributes:

• Cool
• Intelligence
• Reflexes
• Technical Ability
• Body

Because the assassin relies on stealth and sneak attacks, this build doesn’t require much Health, freeing you up to use Body as a dump stat. Technical Ability has useful offerings for this build but is ultimately less useful than the other Attributes. If you prefer cyberware to mobility, though, feel free to swap Technical Ability for Reflexes. Intelligence is vital for hacking, which is an expected skill for most assassins. The changes brought about by Cyberpunk‘s 2.0 upgrade have made hacking and combat better than ever, so take advantage of these modifications and find the combination of Attributes that works best for you.

Perks

Cool Perks form the bedrock of the best assassin build, so the sooner you can start investing points in Cool, the better. This build takes advantage of the full diversity of the Cool perk tree. If you decide you dislike Handguns, Sniper Rifles, or Throwable Weapons, however, you can respec at any time. As is true of the other perk trees, the best offerings are at the top, which is a further incentive to invest heavily in Cool early on and reap the rewards as fast as possible. Once you’ve grabbed everything from the Cool tree that you want, start taking perks from Intelligence and Reflexes. Alternatively, build Cool and Intelligence simultaneously for more of a cyber ninja feel. The most important Cool perks to take are the following:

• Juggler
• Style Over Substance
• Pounce
• Ninjutsu
• Nerves of Tungsten-Steel
• Deadeye
• Focus
• Killer Instinct
• Gag Order
• Feline Footwork

This combination of perks specializes in Throwable Weapons, Pistol Crits, and sneaky movements. It even guarantees Crit Hits with Throwable Weapons thanks to Style Over Substance. Who needs a special sword or shotgun when you can drop enemies with throwing knives from across the room? Cyberpunk‘s 2.0 update has put assassins in the best position they’ve ever been in, and this build celebrates that. Just remember to rely on your stealth skills because you won’t have the Health or Armor to tank many hits, at least at first.

Cyberware

In preparation for Phantom Liberty, the 2.0 update introduced sweeping changes to the base game, including a total reworking of cyberware. V now has a limit on how many cybernetics they can install, and you’ll need to increase Technical Ability if you want to raise that limit. This build doesn’t prioritize Technical Ability that highly, so you’ll need to make some smart choices with the space you have available. That’s not a huge problem because the best assassin build doesn’t depend on much cyberware to work. You’ll have accumulated plenty of Attribute and Perk Points by the end of the game anyway, so if you want to go full chrome, you’ll get your chance eventually.

Arguably, the best cyberware for this 2.0 assassin build is the Synaptic Accelerator. A Tier 4 Synaptic Accelerator slows time by 40% for 3 seconds when enemy detection reaches 50%. That gives you plenty of time to silence the enemy before they get a chance to alert their companions. Alternatively, it gives you a chance to dart back into the shadows and reposition. In addition to slowing type, the Synaptic Accelerator offers the following benefits:

• +1.4% decreased enemy vision
• +5.8 Bonus Stealth Damage
• +2.3% Quickhack Damage

Anything that simultaneously makes you faster, deadlier, and stealthier is an easy pick for the best assassin build, so keep an eye out at the ripperdoc.

Cyberpunk Assassin Build Weapons

2.0 is a serious overhaul of Cyberpunk 2077, and among the many things changed are weapons. The wave of buffs, nerfs, and total redesigns have left assassins with better options than ever when it comes time to dispatch their foes. The best 2.0 assassin build can swap between Sniper Rifles, Pistols, and Throwing Weapons on the fly, so it’s a good idea to have both close and long-range options available at any given time.

If you had to pick just one weapon for your arsenal, there’s a good argument for the Nue. This Power Pistol makes up for its relatively low Attack Speed with excellent Damage, Reload Speed, and Effective Range. It has a solid +125% Headshot Damage Multiplier as well as +25% Armor Penetration, so whether you’re able to get the drop on your enemy or are forced into a firefight, the Nue can hold its own. Alongside a high-quality Sniper Rifle and Knife, the Nue is everything an experienced assassin could ask for.