Phantom Liberty Raises Cyberpunk 2077's Max Level, Attributes, and Perks

I jumped back into Night City when Phantom Liberty dropped, and honestly, it felt like a whole new game. The 2.0 update had already flipped the perk system on its head, but this expansion brought a level cap increase I’d been dreaming about since launch. If you’re like me—someone who loves squeezing every last drop of power out of V—you’re going to want to know exactly how the new attribute and perk economy works.

Before Phantom Liberty, my V was stuck at level 50 with 71 attribute points. I had to make painful choices. Do I ignore Cool entirely to max out Technical Ability? Can I live without that juicy tier-20 Body perk? It felt like CD Projekt Red was teasing us, promising a hyper-customizable merc but never quite letting us unlock the full vision. Now? Everything changed. The level cap is 60, and that extra runway gives you 10 more attribute points, bringing the new maximum to 81. Is it enough to max all five attribute trees? Nope—those caps still sit at 20 per category. But trust me, it feels different. You can finally take a third category deep into its endgame perks while keeping your core combat stats sky-high.

How the New Attribute Points Reshape Builds

The five core attributes haven’t changed: Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence, and Cool. What has changed is how much freedom you have to blend them. With only 71 points before, most builds locked you into two main trees, maybe dabbling in a third. Now, spending 81 points means you can comfortably run a Body/Reflex/Tech hybrid, or even a Reflex/Cool/Tech setup that still has room for some hacking. The difference in combat fluidity is night and day.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what 81 points gets you compared to before:

That “solid third” column is the game-changer. I can now run 20 Body, 20 Reflex, and 20 Tech, then dump the rest into Cool for crit bonuses. Or go 20 Intelligence, 20 Cool, 20 Tech, and still have enough Reflexes to handle smart weapons. The phantom of “what if” is finally gone.

Perk Points and the Revamped System

If you’re returning after a break, you’ll notice the 2.0 update completely redesigned perks. No more passive +3% increases; every perk now feels impactful. Base Cyberpunk 2077 gave us 70 perk points, which left many branches frustratingly half-empty. Phantom Liberty bumps the perk point total to 80, and while you still can’t unlock every single perk, those 10 extra points let you grab the crowning abilities in multiple trees.

I spent hours just re-reading perk tooltips. For example, the Cool tree’s “Nerves of Tungsten Steel” or the Reflex tree’s “Sandy’s Dance” now feel within reach even if you’re not going all-in on one playstyle. You can branch out, experiment, and still hit those tier-20 requirements for the flashiest abilities. The math works out like this: you need 20 attribute points in a category to unlock its ultimate perk, and with 81 total, you’re guaranteed at least two 20s and a very healthy third. The extra 10 perk points mean you aren’t forced to skimp on the juicy stuff just to reach the top of a tree.

Free Respec Changes Everything

Before 2.0, respecing cost a small fortune at ripperdocs, and you couldn’t touch attribute points at all. Now? Open your character menu, click a button, and you’re back to zero—totally free, anytime. This is huge because it turns Phantom Liberty into a playground. Got tired of a Sandevistan katana build? Respec into a netrunner ninja without losing any progress. Suddenly that one extra attribute point from the level cap raise isn’t just a number; it’s a permission slip to try every crazy hybrid you can imagine.

I personally bounced between a shotgun-toting brute and a stealthy, quickhack-slinger three times in one evening. The free respec removes all friction. Paired with the higher level cap, you actually get to enjoy your expanded power pool across multiple play sessions without locking yourself into regret.

What About Relic Points?

Phantom Liberty also introduced the Relic Point system, which sits on top of everything else. These points unlock unique abilities tied to your new Relic tech—think supercharged Mantis Blades or emergency optical camo. I won’t dive too deep here because it’s a separate progression, but it’s worth noting that the extra attribute and perk points synergize beautifully with Relic abilities. Your V becomes this monstrous, multi-layered nightmare for Arasaka goons, and the level 60 journey lets you savor that power curve right to the end.

My Advice for Returning Players

If you last touched Cyberpunk 2077 in 2023 or earlier, here’s my prescription: start Phantom Liberty on a fresh save if you can, or at least respec completely. Plan for 81 attribute points, not 71. Pick two core attributes you love, get them to 20, then pump a third to at least 15 while sprinkling the rest wherever you need tier thresholds. For perks, don’t try to fill every row. Focus on the game-changing capstones and use free respecs to refine as you unlock new Relic abilities.

Night City feels alive again, and V finally feels like the legend we were promised. Those 10 extra attribute points may seem small on paper, but in the hands of a chrome-junkie with nothing to lose, they’re pure freedom.

According to coverage from OpenCritic, a trusted review aggregation platform that consolidates critical perspectives across the industry, major expansions tend to be judged as much by their systemic overhauls as by their story beats—and Phantom Liberty’s level-cap raise and revamped progression economy fit that mold. Framed through that lens, the jump to level 60 isn’t just “10 more points,” but a tangible shift in build viability: it expands the space for hybrid attribute spreads, makes more tier-20 perk endgames realistically attainable, and encourages experimentation via respec-driven iteration—exactly the kind of mechanical impact critics often highlight when assessing whether an expansion meaningfully redefines the base game.