Best Cyberware in Cyberpunk 2077: Top Implants and Stats

Cyberware is one of the most important parts of any build in Cyberpunk 2077, but the system works very differently from the launch version of the game. Update 2.0 moved most Armor away from clothing, introduced Cyberware Capacity, tied implants to Attributes, standardized the Tier system, and allowed cyberware to be upgraded directly at ripperdocs. As a result, old recommendations based on one specific vendor, fixed legendary prices, or Street Cred requirements are now badly outdated. This guide covers the strongest and most useful cyberware in the current game, including both base-game options and Iconic implants from Phantom Liberty.

How Cyberware Works After Update 2.0

Every implant now consumes a certain amount of Cyberware Capacity, and V cannot simply install every powerful piece at once. Capacity increases as you level and can be expanded further through Cyberware Capacity Shards, Technical Ability perks, Engineer Skill rewards, and specific implants such as Chrome Compressor. Cyberware also comes in Tiers from 1 to 5++, with stronger versions becoming available as V reaches higher levels and upgrades existing implants. This makes Capacity efficiency just as important as raw stats when deciding whether an implant deserves a permanent slot.Most standard cyberware can be purchased from ripperdocs once V reaches the required level, and the old system of hunting one specific ripperdoc for a legendary version is no longer relevant for most items. Tier 1 begins at level 1, Tier 2 at level 10, Tier 3 at level 20, Tier 4 at level 30, and Tier 5 at level 40. Iconic cyberware from Phantom Liberty is more restrictive because some pieces are sold only in Dogtown, found in airdrops, or awarded through specific quests and endings. Fixed launch-era prices should therefore not be treated as current universal values because quality, progression, and availability now matter more.

Best Cyberware at a Glance

Cyberware	Slot	Capacity	Main Effect
Reinforced Tendons	Legs	8	Double jump and additional Armor
Blood Pump	Circulatory System	15	Powerful instant heal followed by regeneration
Biomonitor	Circulatory System	14	Automatically uses your Health Item below 50% Health
Second Heart	Circulatory System	30	Restores 100% Health after lethal damage
Kerenzikov	Nervous System	12	Slows time while aiming during a slide, dodge, or Dash
Gorilla Arms	Arms	8	Powerful melee attacks and bonus Body checks
Projectile Launch System	Arms	8	Built-in explosive projectile launcher
Optical Camo	Integumentary System	20	Strong temporary reduction to enemy visibility
Cellular Adapter	Integumentary System	8	High Armor and Technical Ability scaling
Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan	Operating System	44	85% time slow with Crit and headshot bonuses
Axolotl	Frontal Cortex	48	Reduces cyberware cooldowns after every neutralization
Kiroshi "Cockatrice" Optics	Face	30	Up to 35% additional Crit Chance
Chitin	Integumentary System	50	Heavy Armor and strong Health Regen scaling
Chrome Compressor	Operating System	0	Adds up to 70 Cyberware Capacity
Quantum Tuner	Frontal Cortex	45	Resets another cyberware cooldown and lowers cooldowns globally

The table does not mean you should install every item at once. Some cyberware competes for the same slot, while Operating Systems such as Sandevistan, Berserk, Cyberdeck, and Chrome Compressor are mutually exclusive because V can only equip one Operating System. Phantom Liberty Iconics also consume enormous amounts of Capacity, so the strongest theoretical implant can be a bad choice if it prevents you from filling several cheaper slots. A good build usually combines a few expensive build-defining implants with several efficient universal upgrades.

Reinforced Tendons

Reinforced Tendons in Cyberpunk 2077

Reinforced Tendons remain one of the best universal implants in the entire game because they give V a double jump with almost no build commitment. The implant costs only 8 Cyberware Capacity, becomes available from ripperdocs at level 10, and also provides Armor that increases with Tier. Double jumping dramatically improves exploration, stealth routes, rooftop access, combat positioning, and the ability to combine movement with Dash and Air Dash. Even highly specialized builds usually gain more practical value from Reinforced Tendons than from most alternative leg cyberware.The old guide correctly valued the double jump, but the old fixed price and vendor information are obsolete. You no longer need to find one particular ripperdoc or pay a universal 45,000 eddies to obtain the same version. Instead, buy the implant when its Tier becomes available and upgrade it as your build progresses. Unless you specifically prefer raw movement speed or another niche leg effect, Reinforced Tendons are the safest default choice.

Blood Pump

Blood Pump is one of the strongest survival implants because it functions as a powerful Health Item without a long use animation. At current values, it instantly restores roughly 45 to 110 Health depending on Tier and then regenerates another 9 to 23 Health per second for six seconds. It costs 15 Cyberware Capacity and becomes available from ripperdocs at level 10, making it useful long before the late game. Technical Ability also improves its efficiency through the implant's Attribute attunement and related Health Item perks.Blood Pump becomes especially strong when paired with Biomonitor because the second implant can trigger your equipped Health Item automatically. This means V can receive the Blood Pump's immediate heal and regeneration without manually reacting after taking heavy damage. Body and Technical Ability builds benefit the most, but the combination is strong enough to work on almost any character. If you regularly die because you notice your Health too late, this pair is usually more useful than another small damage bonus.

Biomonitor

Biomonitor automatically uses the currently equipped Health Item when V falls below 50% Health. It costs 14 Cyberware Capacity and also increases Health Item effectiveness by up to 16% at higher quality, which makes the implant more than a simple automation tool. Patch 2.11 corrected its description to properly state the 50% trigger threshold, so older guides that mention 35% are outdated. The implant can be purchased from ripperdocs and improves naturally as higher Tiers become available.Its biggest advantage is consistency during chaotic fights. Cyberpunk 2077 can kill V very quickly on higher difficulties, and Biomonitor removes the delay between taking a dangerous burst of damage and manually activating healing. Pairing it with Blood Pump creates one of the best general-purpose defensive combinations in the game, while pairing it with a normal inhaler is still useful if Capacity is tight. Players who rarely take damage can skip it, but aggressive melee and close-range builds get enormous value from the automatic safety net.

Second Heart

Second Heart is no longer the two-minute emergency revive described in early versions of the game. In the current system it costs 30 Cyberware Capacity, automatically restores V to full Health when Health reaches zero, and has a cooldown of roughly 300 to 220 seconds depending on quality. It becomes available at higher levels and competes for valuable Circulatory System space, so it is a luxury rather than an early universal purchase. On Very Hard difficulty or in melee builds that regularly fight at point-blank range, however, a full automatic resurrection can justify the cost.Second Heart is strongest when the rest of the build already has good healing and mitigation. Blood Pump and Biomonitor help prevent V from dying in the first place, while Second Heart handles the rare situation where that defense fails completely. Cooldown-focused Iconics such as Axolotl or Quantum Tuner can make the implant even more valuable in specialized Phantom Liberty builds. If Capacity is limited, prioritize reliable healing first and add Second Heart once the core build is already complete.

Kerenzikov

Kerenzikov in Cyberpunk 2077

Kerenzikov remains one of the best reflex implants for gun-focused builds, but its current behavior is different from the launch version. It costs 12 Cyberware Capacity and slows time by 60% for roughly 2 to 3.75 seconds when you aim a ranged attack during a slide, dodge, or Dash. The cooldown is only about 8 to 6 seconds, which means an experienced player can activate it repeatedly during normal combat without dedicating the Operating System slot to Sandevistan. It also allows ranged attacks during evasive movement, making it especially effective with pistols, revolvers, precision rifles, shotguns, and throwable weapons.The old speed exploit based on repeatedly dodging and jumping with Kerenzikov should be removed from any current guide. Modern Kerenzikov is valuable because of its intended combat mechanics rather than a launch-era movement bug. The Kerenzikov Boost System can further improve the effect by removing shooting Stamina cost while Kerenzikov is active and increasing the relative slowdown. If you want frequent bursts of time dilation while keeping a Cyberdeck or Berserk equipped, Kerenzikov is one of the best ways to get them.

Gorilla Arms

Gorilla Arms in Cyberpunk 2077

Gorilla Arms remain the most versatile Arm cyberware because they combine strong melee damage with useful non-combat utility. They cost only 8 Cyberware Capacity, become available from ripperdocs at level 10, and add up to six points to certain Body Attribute checks depending on Tier. The Physical version can inflict Bleeding, while Electrical, Thermal, and Toxic variants apply their own damage type and status effect. Since Gorilla Arms count as blunt weapons, they also work extremely well with the right side of the Body perk tree.Their biggest advantage is that they are useful even when punching is not your primary damage source. Extra Body for environmental checks can open routes that would otherwise require a larger Attribute investment, while the arms remain a reliable backup weapon when ammunition or weapon access becomes inconvenient. Phantom Liberty's Relic perks can also improve Arm cyberware further and give Gorilla Arms more powerful charged attacks and shockwave effects. For a general-purpose character who does not need Monowire, Mantis Blades, or a Projectile Launch System, Gorilla Arms are still the safest Arm slot choice.

Projectile Launch System

Projectile Launch System turns V's arm into a built-in explosive weapon and is much stronger in the modern game than many launch-era players remember. It costs 8 Cyberware Capacity, becomes available at level 10, and fires an explosive projectile that can be charged for 30% more damage, 25% more explosion radius, and a large increase to dismemberment or elemental status chance depending on the variant. Technical Ability perks such as Pyromania and Doomlauncher make it dramatically stronger, while Phantom Liberty's Jailbreak and Launch Capacity Override Relic perks further expand its potential. A dedicated explosives build can use it constantly instead of treating it as a novelty.The old claim that you need to level or install Smart Link before using the Projectile Launch System is incorrect in the current game. Smart Link is Hands cyberware designed around Smart weapons, while the launcher is independent Arm cyberware with its own mechanics. The main tradeoff is that it competes with Gorilla Arms, Mantis Blades, and Monowire, so only one Arm system can be equipped at a time. It is the best choice when your build already invests heavily in Technical Ability, grenades, explosions, and Relic perks.

Optical Camo

Optical Camo is one of the strongest utility implants for stealth and aggressive repositioning. It costs 20 Cyberware Capacity and reduces enemy visibility by roughly 30 to 90% for about 4 to 7 seconds depending on Tier, while also providing some Armor. The cooldown ranges from roughly 70 to 50 seconds, but perks and cooldown-reduction cyberware can make it available far more often. Cool attunement also increases its duration, making the implant especially attractive for stealth-focused characters.Optical Camo becomes even stronger with the Cool perk Vanishing Act, which can activate the camouflage automatically while crouch-sprinting, sliding, or using related movement actions. This allows stealth builds to cross open spaces or break enemy sightlines without manually triggering the implant every time. It is also useful in combat because reduced visibility makes V harder to hit even after stealth has already failed. The only practical inconvenience is that its active ability competes with grenades and Projectile Launch System for the same quick-access action slot.

Cellular Adapter

Cellular Adapter is one of the best Capacity-efficient defensive implants for Technical Ability builds. It costs only 8 Cyberware Capacity while providing roughly 74 to 162 Armor, and its effects scale directly with every point invested in Technical Ability. At 20 Technical Ability, it gives 20% explosion resistance, 10% Tech weapon damage, 10% faster Health Item recharge, and 10% faster grenade recharge. Few implants provide this many useful stats for such a low Capacity cost.There is one important requirement because the implant only works properly after unlocking the Built Different perk at 15 Technical Ability. That makes it a poor recommendation for characters who barely invest in Tech, but an exceptional one for builds already pursuing License to Chrome, Edgerunner, grenades, or Tech weapons. Its Armor also benefits from the broader cyberware-focused perk structure introduced in Update 2.0. For Capacity efficiency alone, Cellular Adapter is one of the strongest modern replacements for the simplistic old recommendation of Subdermal Armor.

Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan

Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan is one of the strongest Operating Systems for gunfighters and melee characters who do not need quickhacks. It consumes 44 Cyberware Capacity and slows everyone except V by 85%, while granting additional headshot damage, Crit Chance, and Crit Damage. Neutralizing an enemy during the effect extends its duration by 10% and restores 22% Stamina, which rewards fast aggressive kills instead of defensive waiting. It can also be activated at any charge level, giving the player much more control than older Sandevistan models.At Tier 5++ the offensive bonuses can reach 20%, while the base active duration is six seconds and the cooldown can fall to around 25 seconds at higher quality. The Apogee becomes available from ripperdocs at high character level and does not require Phantom Liberty. Its biggest cost is not just Cyberware Capacity but the entire Operating System slot, because equipping it means giving up Cyberdeck quickhacks, Berserk, or Chrome Compressor. For katana, pistol, revolver, shotgun, and headshot-heavy builds, that trade is often worth it.

Axolotl

Axolotl is an Iconic Frontal Cortex implant and one of the strongest cooldown engines in the game. It consumes a massive 48 Cyberware Capacity but instantly reduces the cooldown of all cyberware by roughly 5 to 7.5% whenever V neutralizes an enemy. This effect applies to lethal and nonlethal neutralizations after the Patch 2.11 changes, making it reliable across almost every combat style. Builds centered on Sandevistan, Optical Camo, Kerenzikov, Reflex Tuner, or other cooldown-dependent implants benefit the most.The implant can be obtained through Regina Jones' gig progression and can also be found through Dogtown sources if Phantom Liberty is installed. Its high Capacity cost means it should not be installed automatically just because it is Iconic. Against groups of enemies it can dramatically increase uptime, but during isolated boss fights there are fewer neutralizations available to trigger the effect. Axolotl is therefore best for fast builds that continuously chain kills and already rely on several cooldown-based implants.

Kiroshi "Cockatrice" Optics

Kiroshi "Cockatrice" Optics are a Phantom Liberty Iconic and arguably the strongest general offensive eye implant. They consume 30 Cyberware Capacity and increase Crit Chance by roughly 25 to 35% depending on quality, while also providing 10x optical zoom during scanning. Unlike many optics whose bonuses are situational, a large flat Crit Chance increase benefits almost every weapon-based damage build. This makes Cockatrice particularly strong once your build already has enough Capacity to afford expensive Dogtown cyberware.The implant can be purchased from Dogtown ripperdocs at level 35 or higher and can also appear in airdrops. Its main weakness is Capacity efficiency because 30 points is enormous compared with ordinary Kiroshi options that cost only a few points. A build that already reaches high Crit Chance through weapons and perks may prefer cheaper optics and use those Capacity points elsewhere. For late-game damage optimization, however, Cockatrice is one of the simplest ways to gain a large unconditional offensive bonus.

Chitin

Chitin is an Iconic Phantom Liberty version of defensive Integumentary System cyberware. It consumes 50 Cyberware Capacity and provides roughly 140 to 200 Armor, making it one of the most expensive defensive implants in the game. Its real strength comes from Body attunement, which adds 10% Health Regen Rate for every Body point and can become enormous on a character with Body 20. Tank, shotgun, Gorilla Arms, and Berserk builds benefit the most because they already invest heavily in Health and regeneration.Chitin is sold by Dogtown ripperdocs and can also appear in airdrops. The Capacity cost is so high that it should be treated as a build-defining late-game choice rather than an automatic upgrade over cheap armor implants. Technical Ability perks that reduce the cost of Skeleton and Integumentary System cyberware make the investment easier to absorb. If your build already has strong regeneration and spends most fights at close range, few defensive implants provide a more noticeable increase in survivability.

Chrome Compressor

Chrome Compressor is a strange but extremely powerful Phantom Liberty Operating System for players who want more implants instead of an active OS ability. It costs zero Cyberware Capacity and adds roughly 40 to 70 Capacity depending on Tier, allowing V to equip combinations that would otherwise be impossible. This can be extremely valuable for builds packed with expensive Iconic cyberware such as Chitin, Cockatrice, Axolotl, and Quantum Tuner. It is also one of the easiest ways to create a character whose power comes from passive chrome rather than Sandevistan, Berserk, or quickhacks.The tradeoff is severe because Chrome Compressor occupies the Operating System slot. You cannot use a Cyberdeck, Sandevistan, or Berserk at the same time, which means losing one of the strongest active mechanics in the game. It works best when the extra Capacity lets you install enough high-value passive cyberware to compensate for that loss. Dogtown ripperdocs and Phantom Liberty airdrops are the main sources, so base-game-only characters cannot build around it.

Quantum Tuner

Quantum Tuner is one of the strongest route-specific rewards in Phantom Liberty and one of the most expensive Frontal Cortex implants. It costs 45 Cyberware Capacity and can instantly restore the cooldown of another fully used cyberware implant by up to 30, 40, or 50 seconds depending on Tier. It also passively reduces the cooldown of all other cyberware by 10 to 15%, giving it value even when the automatic reset is not currently available. The Tuner itself has a 60-second cooldown that only counts down outside combat, so it rewards planning rather than endless resets.Its best partners are long-cooldown implants such as Sandevistan, Optical Camo, Reflex Tuner, Synaptic Accelerator, Kerenzikov, and Second Heart. Because the implant is tied to a specific Phantom Liberty story outcome and a later reward, it is not available to every character or every playthrough. The Capacity cost is also high enough that pairing it with Axolotl, Cockatrice, or Chitin requires an extremely developed cyberware build. When the route and Capacity line up, Quantum Tuner can turn cooldown-dependent builds into some of the strongest setups in the game.

Which Cyberware Should You Install First?

For a normal early or mid-game character, Reinforced Tendons, Blood Pump, and Biomonitor offer the best combination of mobility and survivability without consuming extreme Capacity. Gun-focused builds can add Kerenzikov, while melee characters get excellent value from Gorilla Arms and later a suitable Sandevistan or Berserk. Stealth builds should consider Optical Camo, and Technical Ability characters should move toward Cellular Adapter once Built Different becomes available. These implants remain useful for a long time and do not depend on late Phantom Liberty progression.Late-game choices should be driven by the build rather than by a universal ranking. Apogee is excellent for time-dilation combat, Axolotl and Quantum Tuner are strongest when multiple cooldowns define your rotation, Cockatrice is for Crit-heavy weapon builds, and Chitin is designed for characters that want extreme durability. Chrome Compressor is the opposite approach because it sacrifices the Operating System ability in exchange for fitting far more cyberware into the body. The best endgame setup is therefore the one that spends Cyberware Capacity on effects your weapons, Attributes, perks, and playstyle can actually exploit.

What Happened to the Old Cyberware Prices and Ripperdoc Locations?

The old version of this guide was based on the pre-2.0 economy, where different ripperdocs sold specific rarity versions of implants for fixed prices. That is why old articles list numbers such as 15,250 eddies for Gorilla Arms, 45,000 for Reinforced Tendons, or 100,000 for a legendary Arm implant. The modern system instead ties standard cyberware availability much more closely to V's level and Tier progression, while upgrades happen directly at the ripperdoc with crafting components. Those old prices and vendor-specific rarity recommendations should no longer be used for the current game.The same applies to older mechanical advice. Projectile Launch System does not require Smart Link, Second Heart no longer uses the old two-minute cooldown, Subdermal Armor is no longer the obvious universal armor solution, and the Kerenzikov movement exploit should not be treated as a feature. Update 2.0 rebuilt cyberware as a core build system rather than a collection of isolated vendor upgrades. Any recommendation in 2026 should therefore compare Capacity cost, Attribute attunement, Tier, perks, Operating System choice, and Phantom Liberty access instead of relying on launch-era prices.

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For most players, Reinforced Tendons, Blood Pump, Biomonitor, Kerenzikov, and one suitable Arm implant are the strongest general-purpose cyberware choices. Late-game builds can add expensive options such as Militech "Apogee" Sandevistan, Axolotl, Kiroshi "Cockatrice" Optics, Chitin, Chrome Compressor, or Quantum Tuner depending on their playstyle and Phantom Liberty access. Cyberware Capacity is the limiting resource, so an efficient combination of implants is usually stronger than simply equipping every Iconic item you can afford.