Look, by 2026, I've chromed myself into a walking cautionary tale more times than I care to admit. But ever since Phantom Liberty dropped and Update 2.0 rewired the entire game, there's one slice of cybernetic madness I keep coming back to: the Relic skill tree. It's locked behind the expansion and fed by relic points instead of normal perk points, which is probably for the best because if it were free, Night City wouldn't last a week. The whole thing is supposedly Militech combat software crammed into V's skull by Songbird, and yes, that sentence should terrify you.
What Even Is the Relic Tree?
The Relic tree isn't just another branch of perks. It's a full-on personality transplant for your cyberware. You need to own Phantom Liberty to see it, and you spend relic points you earn through the DLC's story rather than normal attribute or perk points. This means you can't just farm random side gigs and become a god overnight. You have to actually play the spy-thriller nonsense first. Once you do, though, the perks basically say: "Hey, remember those arm implants you ignored? Let's make them war crimes."
Emergency Cloaking and Sensory Protocol: The 'Nope' Button
First up, the stealth duo. Emergency Cloaking requires you to have Optical Camo equipped in your Combat Gadget slot. On PC, you tap middle mouse, and enemies lose track of you mid-fight. I call it the "I have made a terrible mistake" button. You can use it to run away, flank, or just stand behind a pillar and question your life choices.
If you invest a second relic point into Sensory Protocol, the game politely slows enemy detection so you have more time to react. Even better, you can dodge or dash out of an enemy's sightline to instantly leave combat. There's a 120-second cooldown, so don't get cocky. It's a great crutch for those of us who keep accidentally fast-traveling into a Scav ambush with zero plan.
Vulnerability Analytics and Machine Learning: Big Numbers Go Brrr
This is where the Relic tree stops being cute. Vulnerability Analytics lets you see weak points in enemy armor and cyberware. When you shoot those glowing bits, you get guaranteed crits, bonus armor penetration, and weakspot damage. It's like the game suddenly highlights exactly where to point your gun to ruin someone's day. When a vulnerability takes enough damage, it explodes in a small EMP blast that shocks nearby enemies. Yes, that's as satisfying as it sounds.
Then comes Machine Learning, which requires Vulnerability Analytics. Every time you pop a vulnerability, new ones appear more often and your crit damage against them goes up. This effect lasts 25 seconds and can stack up to five times. At max stacks, the bonuses double. By that point, you're not fighting gangs anymore; you're doing performance art with a smart weapon and a dream.
Jailbreak: The One-Perk Arm-y
If you only take one Relic perk, make it Jailbreak. It's the best perk in the Relic tree and arguably one of the best in the entire game. Jailbreak unlocks a brand-new ability for every arm cyberware: Mantis Blades, Gorilla Arms, Projectile Launch System, and Monowire.
Here's the quick and dirty table of what Jailbreak does for each arm:
| Arm Cyberware | Jailbreak Ability |
|---|---|
| Mantis Blades | Hold attack after a dismember or finisher to unleash a long-range leap attack with extra reach and a huge slash. |
| Gorilla Arms | Rapid attacks charge your arms. A fully charged strong attack creates a shockwave and sends bodies flying. |
| Projectile Launch System | Overcharge to fire a rapid burst of five projectiles that blanket an area in explosions. |
| Monowire | Gets a dedicated quickhack slot. Charging and releasing the Monowire hits an enemy and uploads a quickhack at zero RAM cost. |
Jailbreak is the thing that takes you from "cyberpunk with a knife" to "local Ripperdoc's worst nightmare." I have personally sent so many bodies ragdolling with charged Gorilla Arms that I'm pretty sure the NCPD has a file on me titled "probably the one who keeps laughing."
Other Cyberarm Perks: Because Apparently Arms Need More Options
After Jailbreak, you can specialize further. Launch Capacity Override gives your Projectile Launch System one extra rocket charge, which is lovely for anyone who believes the solution to every problem starts with "more missiles." Data Tunneling works with Monowire: hitting enemies who have a quickhack uploaded spreads that quickhack to everyone you touch. It's like being a walking malware email chain, but with fewer Nigerian princes and more cyberpsychosis.
For Gorilla Arms fans, Limital Removal (yes, that spelling is a choice) adds a charged shockwave that knocks down everyone in range. Pair it with Jailbreak and you stop being a brawler and start being a demolition crew with cringe humor.
And for Mantis Blades, Spatial Mapping makes your leap attacks even nastier: they can cripple enemies and increase dismemberment chance for ten seconds after a leap attack. It's gruesome, weirdly satisfying, and exactly the kind of thing that makes you wonder if you should maybe talk to someone about your V's life choices.
Final Verdict: Relic Tree Is Worth the Sandy-Vortex of Chaos
If you own Phantom Liberty and haven't touched the Relic tree yet, what are you even doing? It doesn't ask for normal perk points, so you can still build your other attributes normally. It rewards you for using the cyberware you already installed. And it makes V feel less like a merc and more like a self-aware blender with a grudge.
Just remember: Relic points are limited, and you can't refund them with a casual visit to a Ripperdoc. Choose Jailbreak first, then build around the arm you actually enjoy. Or, you know, keep respeccing in your mind while staring at the skill tree for forty minutes. That's a valid build too.
