The Relic Skill Tree in Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty DLC provides significant upgrades to V’s Cyberware, enhancing combat capabilities and survivability. To maximize your build, prioritize unlocking the “Jailbreak” skill early for powerful arm cyberware enhancements, and then collect Relic points from Militech Data Terminals scattered throughout Dogtown to acquire other essential skills like “Spatial Mapping” or “Limiter Removal” depending on your preferred playstyle.
Relic Skill Tree Overview
The Relic Skill Tree is a new feature exclusive to the Phantom Liberty DLC in Cyberpunk 2077. It offers additional upgrades specifically for V’s Cyberware, significantly boosting their effectiveness in combat and opening up new strategic options. Unlike Perk points, which are gained through leveling up, Relic points are acquired through exploration within the new Dogtown area. There are a total of nine Relic Skills available, each designed to enhance V’s cybernetic abilities. These skills, when combined with the new Perks introduced in Phantom Liberty, can create exceptionally powerful character builds.
Unlocking Relic Skills and Points
To begin utilizing the Relic Skill Tree, you must first start the Phantom Liberty DLC questline. Songbird, a key character in the expansion, will initiate the process and provide V with initial Relic points to get started. This unlocks the Relic Skill Tree interface, allowing you to begin allocating points.
Subsequent Relic points are not earned through traditional leveling. Instead, players must actively seek out Militech Data Terminals located across Dogtown. These terminals are not marked on the in-game map, requiring thorough exploration to discover them all. Collecting these points is crucial for fully developing your Relic abilities, as each skill requires a certain number of Relic points to unlock. The strategic acquisition of these points is vital for customizing your character’s cyberware to fit your combat style.
All Relic Skills and Effects
The Relic Skill Tree offers a range of powerful enhancements, primarily focusing on V’s arm cyberware and stealth capabilities. Each skill provides unique combat advantages.
| Skill Name | Effect / Cyberware | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jailbreak | Mantis Blades, Gorilla Arms, Projectile Launch System, Monowire | Unlocks new abilities for arm cyberwares. Projectile Launch System can be overcharged to launch 5 projectiles with a larger area. Gorilla Arms charge up with attacks; a fully charged Strong attack deals massive damage and creates a shockwave that staggers and sends enemies flying. Mantis Blades dismembering or Finisher charges the next Leap Attack, which has +30m reach, massive damage, and wide slash, dismembering enemies. Monowire gains a dedicated slot for Control quickhacks; charging the Monowire allows uploading the quickhack without RAM cost. |
| Spatial Mapping | Mantis Blades | All leap attacks with Mantis Blades now cripple enemies and increase dismemberment chance for 10s. Requires Jailbreak. |
| Limiter Removal | Gorilla Arms | The shockwave created by fully charged Gorilla Arms attacks now deals increased damage. Requires Jailbreak. |
| Launch Capacity | Projectile Launch System | Increases the number of projectiles that can be overcharged. Requires Jailbreak. |
| Data Tunneling | Monowire | Quickhacks uploaded via Monowire spread to 2 additional enemies. Requires Jailbreak. |
| Vulnerability Analytics | All | Reveals Vulnerabilities on enemies. Hitting Vulnerabilities deals critical damage, increases critical chance by 10% for 7s, and grants +1 Relic point. |
| Machine Learning | Vulnerability Analytics | Destroying Vulnerabilities increases the chance of new ones appearing. Requires Vulnerability Analytics. |
| Threat Caculator | All | Automatically highlights enemies within 10m who have detected you. |
| Sensory Protocol | Stealth | When crouched, being detected by an enemy triggers a short slowdown of time. Requires Threat Calculator. |
The “Jailbreak” skill is foundational, unlocking advanced functions for all four arm cyberwares. For instance, the Projectile Launch System gains a powerful overcharge ability, firing a burst of five projectiles. Gorilla Arms become capable of charging up for devastating shockwave attacks that can stagger and launch enemies. Mantis Blades receive an enhanced Leap Attack with extended reach and area damage, capable of dismembering foes. The Monowire gains the ability to upload Control quickhacks without RAM cost after being charged. Following “Jailbreak,” skills like “Spatial Mapping” and “Limiter Removal” further specialize Mantis Blades and Gorilla Arms, respectively, while “Data Tunneling” significantly boosts the Monowire’s quickhack spreading capabilities. “Vulnerability Analytics” is a universal combat enhancer, revealing weak points on enemies that, when hit, provide critical damage, increased critical chance, and even Relic points.
Best Relic Builds
While the Relic skills are generally powerful and it’s encouraged to unlock all of them eventually, certain skills synergize well with specific playstyles. As of June 22, 2026, here are some effective Relic build strategies:
Melee Brawler Build (Gorilla Arms/Mantis Blades Focus)
This build maximizes the potential of V’s arm cyberware for close-quarters combat.
- Core Relic Skills:
- Jailbreak: Essential for unlocking the advanced abilities of Gorilla Arms and Mantis Blades.
- Limiter Removal: Greatly increases the damage of the Gorilla Arms’ shockwave, making it even more potent for crowd control and single-target burst.
- Spatial Mapping: Enhances Mantis Blades’ Leap Attacks, crippling enemies and increasing dismemberment chances, which can lead to rapid enemy takedowns.
- Synergy: Combine with Body attribute perks focused on melee damage, health regeneration, and survivability. Reflexes perks that enhance blade attacks (for Mantis Blades) or blunt weapon damage (for Gorilla Arms) are also highly beneficial.
- Playstyle: Engage enemies directly, utilizing charged Gorilla Arms attacks to clear groups or Mantis Blades Leap Attacks for high-mobility, dismembering strikes.
Netrunner Assassin Build (Monowire Focus)
This build leverages the Monowire’s quickhack capabilities for stealthy and efficient enemy neutralization.
- Core Relic Skills:
- Jailbreak: Unlocks the Monowire’s dedicated quickhack slot and RAM-free upload ability.
- Data Tunneling: Allows quickhacks uploaded via Monowire to spread to two additional enemies, significantly increasing the Monowire’s area-of-effect hacking potential.
- Vulnerability Analytics: Provides critical damage and increased critical chance upon hitting vulnerabilities, which can be exploited by quickhacks or subsequent Monowire attacks.
- Synergy: Prioritize Intelligence attribute perks for quickhack damage, spread, and RAM recovery. Cool attribute perks for stealth and non-lethal takedowns will further enhance this build’s effectiveness.
- Playstyle: Use the Monowire to silently upload powerful Control quickhacks to multiple targets without spending RAM, then follow up with lethal Monowire attacks or other quickhacks.
Universal Combat Enhancer (Vulnerability Analytics Focus)
This build is versatile and benefits any playstyle by boosting overall combat efficiency.
- Core Relic Skills:
- Vulnerability Analytics: Reveals critical weak points on enemies, providing a consistent source of critical damage and increasing critical chance. The Relic point gain upon hitting vulnerabilities is also a bonus.
- Machine Learning: Enhances Vulnerability Analytics by increasing the chance of new vulnerabilities appearing after destroying existing ones, ensuring a continuous stream of weak points to exploit.
- Threat Calculator: Provides crucial tactical information by highlighting detected enemies, useful for both direct combat and stealth approaches.
- Synergy: This skill set is beneficial for any weapon type or combat approach. It pairs well with high-crit builds, precision rifles, or any playstyle that can consistently hit specific enemy locations.
- Playstyle: Focus on targeting highlighted vulnerabilities to maximize damage output and maintain high critical chance. Use Threat Calculator to quickly identify and prioritize immediate threats.
FAQ
What are Relics in Cyberpunk 2077? Relics are additional upgrades for V’s Cyberware, exclusively available in the Phantom Liberty DLC, that enhance their combat abilities and provide new tactical options.
How do I unlock the Relic Skill Tree? You unlock the Relic Skill Tree by starting the Phantom Liberty DLC questline with Songbird, who will provide you with initial Relic points.
How do I get more Relic points? More Relic points are acquired by finding Militech Data Terminals scattered throughout Dogtown. These terminals are not marked on the map, requiring exploration to locate them.
Do Relic points come from leveling up? No, unlike Perk points, Relic points are not gained from leveling up. They are found exclusively at Militech Data Terminals in Dogtown.
Are all Relic Skills worth unlocking? Relic Skills are powerful improvements, and it is encouraged to unlock all of them. However, some skills are objectively better and should be prioritized based on your build and playstyle.
Which Relic Skill should I get first? “Jailbreak” is a crucial first Relic skill as it unlocks new abilities for all arm cyberwares (Mantis Blades, Gorilla Arms, Projectile Launch System, and Monowire), providing a significant power spike regardless of your preferred arm cyberware.