So, you want to be a Netrunner in Cyberpunk 2077? Of course you do. Who wouldn’t want to fry an enemy’s brain from three blocks away while sipping a synth-café? But here’s the thing: Night City doesn’t hand out god-tier hacking powers for free. You need the right skills, the right perks, and a healthy disregard for your own RAM bar. And with the 2.0 overhaul and Phantom Liberty still shaping builds in 2026, the Netrunner’s toolkit has never been sharper—or more delightfully cruel. The question is: which skills actually deserve your precious perk points?
Let’s start with the obvious: Netrunners don’t need to be in the room to ruin someone’s day. Eye in the Sky is a gorgeous little perk that turns cameras and access points into your personal puppet theater. It automatically highlights these devices, and when you use Control or Covert quickhacks through a camera, the RAM cost drops by one and the duration jumps by 50%. Is that not the definition of efficient chaos? You can sneak past entire squads without ever breaking a sweat—or a nail.
Then there’s Carhacker, which proves that vehicle combat isn’t just for gun-toting maniacs. For a single perk point, you can take control of an enemy’s car, set off its alarm as a distraction, or—why not?—make it explode. In 2026, with car chases still very much a thing in Phantom Liberty’s tougher districts, this skill is a comedy goldmine. Imagine some poor ganger watching his own ride drive itself into a wall. Priceless.
But all that hacking burns RAM, and that’s where Speculation and Optimization come in. Speculation refunds 25% of the RAM you spent on a target if a combat quickhack finishes them off. It practically begs you to stack quickhacks like a digital arsonist. Optimization, meanwhile, gives a flat 35% boost to RAM recovery speed, both in and out of combat. One point, massive quality-of-life. Why wouldn’t you take it? Well, you might if you’re allergic to efficiency—but then you probably wouldn’t be reading a Netrunner guide.
Now, let’s talk about cyberware. In the 2.0 era, your body has limits, and exceeding them leads to cyberpsychosis—which is bad for your health and your social life. All Things Cyber increases your cyberware stat modifiers, which can mean better RAM recovery or juicier quickhack damage. License to Chrome takes that further: three points get you a 10% boost, +40 armor, and an extra skeleton slot. Armor matters more than ever since clothes no longer provide defense. So yes, chrome up—but chrome smart.
What about wasting RAM on a dying enemy? Data Recycler has your back. It refunds 80% of the cost of any quickhack still in the queue when the target dies. You don’t even need to finish them with a quickhack—switch to a pistol, pop them, and get your RAM back. It’s like a loyalty program for murder. Morbid? Sure. Effective? Absolutely.
And finally, the crown jewel: Overclock. This skill requires 15 Intelligence and unlocks a mode where you can cast quickhacks even when you’re out of RAM—at the cost of 10 health per missing RAM unit. In 2026, with enemies hitting harder than ever, this is a risky but glorious trade. You can chain devastating hacks until your health bar looks like a countdown timer. Is it reckless? Perhaps. Is it the most Netrunner thing ever? Without a doubt.
So there you have it: a Netrunner’s greatest hits for 2026. Take these skills, mix them with a legendary cyberdeck, and watch Night City’s security systems crumble like a cheap firewalls. Just remember—RAM is precious, health is optional, and style is everything. 😎