Hacking and everything Netrunning have been updated for Cyberpunk 2077 2.0, changing the entire gameplay style for those who prefer to complete their missions through Quickhacks and Breach Protocol.

Though most objectives can be completed with a bullet in the right place, it is now more than feasible to combine your gunplay and netrunning skills mid-combat. This guide has been updated for Cyberpunk 2.0 and explains everything you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077's overhauled hacking mechanics.

But first, a quick overview of the two main kinds of hacking in Cyberpunk 2077:

• Quickhacking - This is the hacking you do with your Kiroshi scanner on enemies and electric-powered objects. The number of actions you can do depends on the Quickhack cost and your RAM capacity. The RAM is determined by V's operating system, which you can purchase, change, and upgrade at any Ripperdoc.
• Hacking Access Points with Breach Protocol - Access Points are laptops, antenna, or other spots where V can jack in and play the Breach Protocol hacking minigame. If you input code in the right order, you can unlock more than one Datamine sequence for greater rewards. Access Point Breach Protocol is usually a harder version of Breach Protocol than the Quickhack version used on enemies and random tech.

Quickhacking Guide

As stated above, Quickhacking is the action you do with your scanner to use a Daemon on a select cyber-powered object or an enemy. V has to scan the item or person; if they can be hacked, you'll see two menus to flip through in the scanner.

With your base scanner and its perks, you'll see this for normal objects and civilians:

If you scan an object connected to an enemy network or the enemy themselves, you'll get the Hacking tab in addition to the data:

The Elements of Quickhacking

Quickhacking has four main elements: the target, available Quickhacks, RAM, and the Hacking info panel.

1. The Target: This one is rather obvious, but your target changes what Quickhacks are available to you. For instance, if you're hacking a device, you can't burn out its synapses as it, you know, doesn't have eyes. You'll have the most options on human targets.

2. Available Quickhacks: The Quickhacks available to use will depend on your target. If a Quickhack is blocked out in red, that means it's already in use, or you don't have enough RAM to use it.

3. Cyberdeck RAM: The RAM allotted to V depends on their Operating System, something you can upgrade at a Ripperdoc. This is found in the Cyberdeck section of the menu. The Operating System also determines how many Quickhacks you can have equipped and the sort of things you can hack.

• You can change your Quickhacks either at a Ripperdoc or by accessing your OS Cyberware through the Inventory Tab.

4. Data and Hacking: Note that you can get important information from the Data tab about your enemy. This includes their specialization (Gunner vs. Netrunner), criminal affiliation, bounty (for street cred), and strengths and weaknesses. This can be hugely important when taking on a boss. The hacking tab gives descriptions for the Quickhack you have selected.

How to Get More RAM

You can acquire more RAM slots by either equipping Tier 5 Cyberdecks such as the Netwatch Netdriver MK.1 (Iconic), leveling up your Netrunner skill progression, or using a Frontal Cortex Cyberware that increases your maximum RAM.

For example, the Netwatch Netdriver MK.1 comes with 13 RAM slots, but if you have at least Level 13 in Netrunner (+2) while equipping the Camillo RAM Manager (+2), Ex-Disk (+6), Self-ICE (+2), in your Frontal Cortex, it'll bring your total RAM Slots to 25 Max RAM slots (without bonuses from perks).

Having that many RAM slots allows you to use some of the best Daemons in the game that would otherwise be unavailable due to their high RAM cost.

• Ultimate Quickhacks, such as System Collapse and Cyberpsychosis, require 20+ RAMs per use.

How to Get More Quickhacks

Quickhacks, often called Daemons, can be found all over Nightcity, through completing main and side jobs, gigs, or randomly in the overworld.

You can also purchase them from Netrunner shops, which also supply netrunning equipment that can prove useful in and out of combat.

You can also make your own Quickhacks through Crafting—accessible via your Inventory tab.

Quickhacking Tips

Here are a few useful beginner tips that'll help you utilize your Quickhacks early in the game.

• Make it a rule always to start an encounter with Breach Protocol, even if you don't plan on using stealth for long. It'll reduce the cost of Quickhacks by one RAM.
• If you use Ping, you can find the Access Point in the area if there is one. All connected devices will Ping the Access Point device as shown by digital lines.
• Though time moves slowly when you're scanning and hacking, time hasn't stopped completely. Be aware of V's position so they don't get spotted.
• Make security cameras work for you! V can hack enemies through security cameras under their control.

Hacking Access Points

Unlike Quickhacking, jacking into an Access Point requires V to have a certain level of Intelligence and has what is usually a slightly more challenging version of Breach Protocol.

How to Find Access Points

Access Points can be things like laptops, consoles on a wall, and antennas in enemy areas.

Aside from scanning and looking around an area for this one marker, you can use Quickhacks and even perks to find them faster.

The Ping Quickhack (which you can get for free from The Gift) works on any device connected to the Access Point and reveals the Access Point (and connected devices and people on the network) location through lines like the image below.

The Eye in the Sky Intelligence perk is also extremely useful, as it automatically highlights nearby Access Points and cameras.

Not all areas with enemies have Access Points, so if you have a hard time finding where the lines meet, it may be because there isn't one Access Point in the area.

How to Use Access Points

When you reach an access point, V may have the option to jack in. V's Intelligence level determines the option. If you have the necessary level to plug in, you'll see a Breach Protocol hacking minigame screen that looks something like this:

The goal is to enter one or more of the required sequences to "datamine" this access point for rewards. The pattern for entering code in a sequence starts with the first row. Then, the next code you can select will be from the first code's column. The pattern repeats row - column - column- column - column - etc, in whatever direction you choose.

If you have a bigger buffer size (which can be increased by upgrading V's Operating System at a Ripperdoc), you can input more codes. Your goal should be to clear at least two sequences. Each of the three sequences and the code matrix are randomized. With some luck, you may even complete three or more.

With the Forcekill Cypher Intelligence perk, you can reduce the sequence length required to hack Access Points by 1.

• However, the total sequence length cannot be reduced below 2 characters.

If a sequence fails while you're in the process of inputting another sequence, that means, based on your input, it is no longer possible to obtain the other.

Let's use the above Breach Protocol as an example. Based on my options and buffer size, I decided to try and solve for Datamine 3, Datamine 1, then Datamine 2. The resulting breach sequence would be BD - BD - 55 - 1C - E9 -BD.

Keep in mind that there can be multiple ways to input the sequences in a single breach. And don't forget that you're timed! The timer doesn't start until you engage with the Code Matrix.

Once you get the all-clear on your code, you can back out and see your rewards on the left side of the screen.

Rewards earned from access points can be increased through Perks like Advanced Datamine (Upgrades Datamine, increasing the amount of Eurodollars acquired from access points by 50%). Advanced Datamine can be upgraded again for a whopping 100% increase. With this, we've been able to get well over $1000 per Access Point if it drops the money reward. They usually do.

You can view all the related perks on our Intelligence Perks page.