Cyberpunk 2077: Netrunner Quickhack Tier List (Patch 2.3)

Since the 2.0 overhaul, followed by patches 2.1, 2.2 and finally the 2.3 update released over the summer, quickhacks in Cyberpunk 2077 are no longer gadgets: they're weapons in their own right, often deadlier than a techno pistol. You still need to know which one to slot into your cyberdeck, at what level, against which target. This guide offers a complete tier list of quickhacks as of patch 2.3, with each one's RAM cost, damage or effect, the context where it shines, the cyberdecks that amplify it, and the Intelligence perks to prioritize. Whether you're building your first Netrunner or fine-tuning a level 60 V, this hierarchy will keep you from wasting a precious slot on a line of code CD Projekt Red forgot about.

How quickhacks work in patch 2.3

Every quickhack costs RAM (Random Access Memory), whose maximum capacity depends on your cyberdeck, your Intelligence points, and the mods installed in the Frontal Cortex. You launch a hack by scanning a target via the analyzer: upload time varies depending on the hack and the perks you've invested in. Since 2.0, you can chain several quickhacks on the same target (queue mechanic), and since 2.3 targets react in a slightly more nuanced way to crowd-control effects (less perpetual hard stagger on elites). There are four main categories: Combat (damage), Control (debuffs), Covert (reconnaissance and diversion) and Ultimate (devastating finishers, very high cost). A quickhack's quality (blue, purple, gold, iconic) boosts its effects by a factor of 2 to 3, and only iconic versions fully take advantage of high-end deck synergies.

Tier S+: the quickhacks that define the meta

These three quickhacks are the ones you install first, across all Netrunner builds. They deliver an insane damage-to-RAM ratio and all chain together seamlessly.

• Short Circuit (Combat, 3-10 RAM): the best single-target hack in the game. Massive electrical damage, huge bonus against mechs, drones and cyberware. An iconic version one-shots a standard elite at high level. Its low cost makes it the daily bread of any rotation.
• Reboot Optics... Overheat (Combat, 3-9 RAM): thermal DoT that melts armor and triggers chain explosions when the target is carrying grenades. The Overheat → Contagion combo remains the top AOE combo of 2.3.
• Contagion (Combat, 5-12 RAM): a virus that spreads to four enemies within an 8-meter radius upon the primary target's death. The ultimate anti-crowd hack, essential against organic gangs (Valentinos, Maelstrom, Barghest). No effect on robots and drones.

Tier S: the Netrunner essentials

A notch below, but still pillars of the build. You bring these everywhere, and they cover the rare scenarios that S+ doesn't handle.

• Synaptic Combustion (Combat, 10-16 RAM): the single-target finisher against elites and mini-bosses. Every point of remaining RAM boosts damage by up to +400%. A full Overclock and this line of code kills pretty much anything with a brain.
• Cyberware Malfunction (Control, 3-4 RAM): disables enemy implants (including an opponent's Sandevistan) and increases damage taken. Stacks up to five times, mandatory against cyberpsychos and Dogtown bosses.
• Optic Camo Reboot (Control, 2-7 RAM): blinds the target for 8 seconds, reduces their accuracy, breaks any ongoing detection. The backbone of the stealth game, and an excellent setup for a headshot with a silenced rifle.
• System Collapse (Ultimate, 28 RAM): neutralizes silently and without forced lethality. Replaces the old System Reset from 1.x, essential for do not kill or clean kill contracts. A single target but a universal solve.

Tier A: very solid, often situational

They're rarely picked first, but as soon as you fill your deck with 6 to 8 slots, they make all the difference. These are what separate an honest Netrunner from a true virtuoso.

• Sonic Shock (Stealth, 3-6 RAM): deafens the target, preventing them from calling for reinforcements. The best stealth enabler, straight out of CD Projekt Red's official glossary. Negligible cost, short cooldown.
• Cyberpsychosis (Ultimate, 22 RAM): forces the target to turn their weapon against their allies. On a Militech squad or a Barghest patrol in Dogtown, it's guaranteed carnage. Less reliable solo, since the target can kill themselves before you have time to take them down from the world.
• Suicide (Ultimate, 24 RAM): forces the target to put a bullet in their own head. The perfect stealth elimination when an isolated guard is blocking a corridor, but less value than Short Circuit outside of stealth.
• Weapon Malfunction (Control, 3-6 RAM): jams the primary weapon, disables enemy smart targeting systems. Excellent against MaxTac snipers and the armed drones from patch 2.3.
• Distract (Stealth, 4 RAM): remotely hacks an object to lure a guard. The basic building block of infiltration puzzles, often essential for splitting up a pair of patrolling guards without being seen.
• Lockdown (Control, 3-6 RAM): blocks movement and disables mobility cyberware. The ideal countermeasure against an opposing Sandevistan or a boss charging in melee.

Tier B: good in a specific role

These quickhacks require a specific context to justify their slot, but as soon as that context arises, they're irreplaceable. You rotate them depending on the contract.

• Ping (Stealth, 4-7 RAM): reveals enemies and devices connected to the same network. Less central since 2.0 (as it no longer infuses damage into all subsequent hacks), but remains the best recon in the game. Keep it for the very start of a mission.
• Detection (Stealth): passive effect of upgraded Ping and certain iconic scanners. It's not a standalone slot, but an analysis mode you activate for free once Ping is launched.
• Memory Wipe (Stealth, 8-32 RAM): prevents the target from detecting you again and reduces the trace bar by 25%. Useful in case of accidental detection, but its cost makes it a luxury.
• Request Backup (Stealth, 3-6 RAM): lures an enemy toward a specific point. Overlaps with Distract in 90% of cases.
• Cyberware Malfunction (Stealth, 2-4 RAM): draws an enemy toward your position without putting them on alert. The "gentleman" version of Whistle, very good but often redundant.
• Whistle (Stealth, iconic): narrative variant of Cyberware Malfunction, available via a Phantom Liberty side quest. Roleplay bonus, worth the slot for immersion only.

Tier C: put these at the back of the deck

These quickhacks exist, but their cost-to-impact ratio makes them rarely viable in patch 2.3. Leave them to RP runs or self-imposed challenges.

• Detonate Grenade (Ultimate, 24 RAM): detonates the grenade carried by the target. Nice on paper, but a Short Circuit kills faster for a third of the RAM.
• Open / Close (Stealth, 1 RAM): opens or closes a door remotely. Exists mainly for gameplay consistency, rarely decisive in combat.
• Bait (Stealth, 2-4 RAM): projects a fake signal that briefly attracts an enemy. Only useful for a very scripted run, otherwise Distract does better.

Special case: the Black Wall Gateway

Unlocked by recovering the Militech Canto MK.6 cyberdeck (nicknamed Erebus in the FR community, official glossary) at the end of the Phantom Liberty quest Somewhat Damaged, the Black Wall Gateway is an ultimate quickhack in a class of its own. Memory cost: 12 RAM, it takes up four slots in your deck. It deals lethal damage to cyberware and the nervous system, spreads to five enemies within a 20-meter radius, and disables mechs, drones, and turrets along the way. Each spread consumes additional RAM. It's the endgame Netrunner's nuclear weapon, best reserved for heavy combat zones in Dogtown or confrontations against MaxTac.

The best cyberdecks to amplify your quickhacks

A tier S quickhack in a bad deck isn't worth an optimized tier B quickhack. Here are the four cyberdecks to know in patch 2.3, ranked by playstyle.

Worth noting: the Biotech Sigma MK.5 cyberdeck, released with 2.1, offers very fast RAM regeneration in combat. It doesn't make our top 4 but remains a credible choice for a highly mobile Netrunner.

Intelligence perks to prioritize

The Intelligence tree is the Netrunner's fuel. Without the right perks, even an iconic Short Circuit feels lukewarm. Here's the recommended investment order for a quickhack-focused build in patch 2.3.

1. Optimization: reduces the RAM cost of quickhacks based on the number of free slots. The foundation of everything.
2. Overclock: allows launching quickhacks beyond your RAM at the cost of your health. Combined with Biosynergy, it's practically unlimited.
3. Embedded Exploit: reveals free sub-hacks on a target you've just hacked. Multiplies the combos.
4. Queue Mastery: reduces the upload time of long queues. Essential for stacking Cyberware Malfunction + Short Circuit before a boss can move.
5. Target Lock Transfer: locks a new quickhack onto the next target after a kill. Clean chaining in crowded rooms.
6. School of Hard Hacks: any target affected by a DoT (Contagion, Ping) takes +25% damage from all other quickhacks.

On the Relic side (Phantom Liberty tree), the Jailbreak skill followed by Data Tunneling remains the optimal path: Jailbreak adds a quickhack slot on the monowire usable without RAM, granting one free kill per combat.

Optimal combos and rotations

A Netrunner doesn't throw out hacks at random. Here are three rotations tested and proven on patch 2.3, tailored to each type of encounter.

1. Cluster of organic enemies: Ping → Ping on the most heavily armed → Contagion on a grenade carrier → Short Circuit on the remaining target. Result: room cleared in 6 seconds, not a single bullet fired.
2. Elite or mini-boss: Cyberware Malfunction ×5 (stacked via Rippler) → Synaptic Combustion at max RAM. The health bar drops all at once, even on Watson's cyberpsychos.
3. Silent infiltration: Ping → Optical Reboot on the key camera → Sonic Shock on the first isolated guard → Suicide on the second → Memory Wipe on the potential witness. Area crossed without a word over the radios.

For fights against MaxTac or the reinforced Kang Tao patrols introduced by 2.3, the key is managing RAM regeneration. A Synaptic Accelerator mod in the frontal cortex and the Nervous System Upgrade perk turn your deck into a cascade machine.

Classic mistakes to avoid

• Stacking too many Ultimate hacks: their RAM cost makes them prohibitive. Two Ultimates maximum in a deck, never three.
• Forgetting to upgrade quality: a green Short Circuit costs almost as much as an Iconic one but deals half the damage. Fingers, Chrome Compulsion, and Nix sell the upgraded versions.
• Ignoring resistances: Contagion does nothing to robots, Suicide doesn't work on mechs. Always keep an electrical combat hack as backup.
• Underinvesting in Cool: stealth movement perks (Vanishing Act, Nyx) protect your position while uploading a slow hack, otherwise you're a sitting target.

Recap: your ideal deck in 2026

For a level 60 Netrunner on patch 2.3, a well-built cyberdeck combines six to eight quickhacks distributed as follows:

• Combat: Iconic Short Circuit, Iconic Overheat, Contagion, Synapse Burnout
• Control: Cyberware Malfunction, Optical Reboot
• Stealth: Sonic Shock, Ping
• Ultimate: System Collapse (or Black Wall Gateway if Erebus is equipped)

This build covers 100% of encounters in both the base game and Phantom Liberty, leaving enough RAM to chain two to three hacks per fight.

Conclusion: mastering quickhacks means ruling Night City

Patch 2.3 didn't massively rebalance quickhacks, but it refined their interactions and made enemies a bit more readable against control effects. The meta is still dominated by the Short Circuit / Overheat / Contagion trio, with Synapse Burnout as a single-target finisher and System Collapse for non-lethal contracts. A well-chosen cyberdeck — Erebus for endgame, Rippler MK.5 for spread, NetWatch for raw power — multiplies these foundations by two or three. Invest ten levels in Intelligence, pick up Optimization, Overclock, and School of Hard Hacks, slot in a Kerenzikov MK.4 for uploading under pressure, and you'll turn every contract in Night City into a technical showcase. Until Cyberpunk Orion arrives, the Netrunner has never been as powerful as in patch 2.3.