Cyberpunk 2077: 10 Netrunning Tips to Break Night City's Ice

Netrunning in Cyberpunk 2077 is more than just pressing hack and watching enemies fry — it's a deep, strategic playstyle that rewards planning, memory management, and a pinch of cold-blooded creativity. Whether you're a fresh merc in Watson or a seasoned legend running the streets of Dogtown, these ten tips will help you maximize your quickhack potential and dominate every encounter without firing a single shot (unless you want to).

10 Essential Netrunner Pro Tips

Ditch the Loot Piñata Build — Don't just stack damage mods. Your cyberdeck slots and available RAM are your real weapons. Prioritize legendary decks that offer extra RAM, faster cooldowns, and unique quickhack slots. The Netwatch Netdriver MK.5 is a solid late-game choice, but the Tetratronic Rippler MK.4 in Phantom Liberty is a beast for chaining hacks.
Breach Protocol Is Your Best Friend — Always run a Breach Protocol Daemon suite before a fight. Stuff like Icepick reduces RAM costs by up to 7 points and Mass Vulnerability makes everything squishier. If you're hacking a whole building, start with a Breach Protocol on the main access point to syphon enemy RAM and reveal all their locations.
Master RAM Management — Your RAM is your resource; running out mid-fight is a death sentence. Equip the Memory Boost cyberware and allocate perks into "Optimization" to reduce costs. You can also activate "Self-ICE" to shut down enemy hacks. The goal is to have enough RAM to execute your full combo: Ping → Contagion → Overheat → Short Circuit.
Combine Quickhacks Like a Chef — Synergy is everything. Use Contagion to spread poison to a cluster, then hit one of them with Overheat to ignite the toxic cloud and melt the whole group. Alternatively, Short Circuit on weakened robots can instakill them. Pair Toxic Cloud with a Battery Ram for maximum chaos near grenade spots.
Unlock These Perks First — Spend your early perk points on "Bloodware" (bonus quickhack damage at low RAM), "Headhunter" (more crit damage on distracted enemies), and "Optimization" (reduced costs). If you're going full netrunner, "PL.Synapse Burnout" is a top-tier skill that spreads burn to nearby bad guys.
Use Ping and Cameras to Play Chess — Never walk into a room blind. Ping the network to reveal all enemies and cameras. Then, hack into nearby cameras and use them as your personal clay pigeons — quickhack enemies from a distance without ever exposing yourself. This is the safest way to clear a building.
Invest in Intelligence and Cool — Intelligence directly boosts quickhack damage and unlocks higher-tier slots. Cool also helps you stay undetected and reduces RAM costs when you're out of combat. For a true netrunner, aim for 20 Intelligence and at least 15 Cool; Reflexes can take a backseat.
Craft and Upgrade Legendary Quickhacks — Non-legendary quickhacks are old news. Collect crafting specs from vendors or complete Netrunner Jobs to unlock epic and legendary variants. Then, upgrade them at a crafting terminal to boost damage, upload time, and add extra effects. A legendary Short Circuit can critically hit machines for absurd numbers.
Embrace the Hit-and-Run — You're not a bullet sponge. After firing off your combo, always reposition. Use cyberware like the Monowire to take out stragglers, and keep a suppressed pistol for stealthy headshots. Your goal is to never be in the line of fire — let your quickhacks do the dirty work.
Combine with Your Weapons for Maximum Synergy — Netrunning doesn't mean you're useless with a gun. Carry a Tech or Smart weapon that can quickly exploit the "hacked" status effect. Smart guns auto-aim at hacked enemies, while tech weapons shoot through walls when you know exactly where your targets are hiding. That's the perfect netrunner loadout.

Netrunning is a lifestyle. With these tips, you'll be burning through enemy nets, spotting every gank before it happens, and making the cyberpsychos look like amateurs. Now go jack in, V — Night City's waiting.