Best Quickhacks in Cyberpunk 2077 2.5

A dangerous enemy, a tightly packed group, and a patrolling robot each call for a different approach. The best quickhacks in Cyberpunk 2077 give you ways to handle all three, from dealing heavy damage to turning opponents against the people standing beside them.

In this guide, we’ll cover seven powerful quickhacks for Update 2.5, explain when to use each one, and highlight useful combinations. Your perks, cyberdeck, cyberware, and quickhack tiers all affect their performance, so understanding how the effects work together is just as important as choosing what to equip.

For the Intelligence upgrades that support these quickhacks, check out our best Netrunner perks in Cyberpunk 2077.

Synapse Burnout is a strong option for dealing heavy damage to a single enemy. Its damage increases based on the amount of RAM currently spent, making it particularly useful after you have already committed resources to other quickhacks.

This refers to RAM that is currently unavailable, rather than everything you have spent throughout the encounter. As RAM recovers, the amount currently spent changes.

At Tier 5, Synapse Burnout gains additional benefits during Overclock. Its damage bonus from spent RAM becomes stronger, and neutralizing an enemy with it extends Overclock’s duration.

That creates a useful interaction: Overclock lets you continue uploading quickhacks by spending health when RAM runs short, while successful Synapse Burnout takedowns help keep Overclock active.

Use Synapse Burnout when you need a powerful hit against a durable target, especially as part of an established Overclock setup.

Short Circuit deals electrical damage and is especially useful against mechs, robots, drones, and turrets. Keep it available when your usual approach relies on effects that perform poorly against machines.

It also works well with Cyberware Malfunction, a Control quickhack that disrupts enemy cyberware.

From Tier 3, Short Circuit gains additional damage for each Cyberware Malfunction stack affecting the target. Apply Cyberware Malfunction first, then follow with Short Circuit to take advantage of that interaction.

Because Cyberware Malfunction is a Control quickhack, it can also enable Embedded Exploit’s damage bonus. This gives the setup another benefit when you have invested in the relevant perk.

System Overwhelm can support combinations involving several different effects by increasing quickhack damage for each unique quickhack and damage-over-time effect affecting the target.

Contagion infects an enemy with a damaging effect that can spread to nearby targets. It deals chemical damage over time, making it particularly useful against groups of human enemies standing close together.

Choose a target near the middle of a group to give the infection opportunities to spread. You can then reposition or deal with another threat while the damage continues.

The value comes from affecting several enemies with one upload. Against an isolated opponent, a quickhack designed for direct damage may be a better use of your resources.

Contagion is ineffective against mechanical targets such as mechs, robots, drones, and turrets. Switch to a more suitable option, such as Short Circuit, when facing those enemies.

Higher-tier Contagion also supports an explosive combination with Overheat, giving you another way to punish clustered targets.

Overheat deals thermal damage over time and provides a relatively affordable damage option compared with expensive Ultimate quickhacks.

Once the upload completes, the target continues taking damage while you move, take cover, or focus on another enemy. Depending on your build and the opponent’s durability, one application may be enough to finish them.

Watch the target’s remaining health before spending more RAM. If the existing damage is sufficient, you can save those resources for another threat.

Overheat also combines with Tier 4 or higher Contagion. Apply Contagion first, then upload Overheat while the infection is active to trigger an explosion

Detonate Grenade forces an enemy to set off the grenade they are carrying. Its effect depends on the grenade type, so check the target’s quickhack information before committing.

A damaging explosion can hit nearby enemies as well as the original target. Look for opponents standing close together to get more value from the upload.

The quickhack has a high base RAM cost, which makes target selection important. Spending those resources on one ordinary enemy may be less efficient than using a cheaper damage quickhack.

Use it when the grenade’s effect suits the situation and can disrupt or damage several opponents. Your available RAM and the enemy formation should determine whether it is worth the investment.

Suicide is an Ultimate quickhack that forces an eligible enemy to turn their weapon against themselves. Its purpose is to neutralize a specific target rather than spread damage through a group.

This can be useful when you want to remove a dangerous opponent from an encounter. Check that the quickhack is available against the target and review the displayed RAM cost before uploading it.

Its high base cost means it is not always the most efficient choice. Overheat, Short Circuit, or Synapse Burnout may be able to handle the same enemy for fewer resources, depending on your setup.

Consider what the removal achieves. Taking out an important threat can justify the expense, while using it on every weaker enemy can leave you short of RAM for the rest of the fight.

Cyberpsychosis causes an affected enemy to attack nearby allies or enemies, creating an opening for you to reposition or continue hacking.

Target selection matters. An opponent with a dangerous weapon can become a useful source of damage against the rest of the group, while the fighting draws attention away from your position.

Keep some distance from the affected enemy. They attack nearby targets rather than becoming a dependable ally under your control.

Cyberpsychosis is particularly useful when a group would otherwise be difficult to handle all at once. If your build already eliminates those enemies quickly, a direct damage quickhack may resolve the encounter more efficiently.