How to Use Quickhacks in Combat in Cyberpunk 2077

Equip a cyberdeck and install compatible quickhacks to hack enemies during combat in Cyberpunk 2077. Open the scanner, highlight an eligible target, and select a quickhack you can afford with your available RAM. Start with a simple effect that helps you take control of the fight, then watch for the upload and its result before spending more RAM.

Check the cyberdeck and equip a few hacks

1. Inspect your Operating System cyberware and make sure you have a cyberdeck equipped. Other operating systems serve different builds and can leave you without ordinary quickhacking.
2. Open the deck's quickhack slots. Equip a small selection that covers jobs you expect to use, such as dealing damage or disrupting a target.
3. Read each hack's effect and RAM cost. Keep at least one option you can use without relying on an elaborate setup.
4. Find an eligible enemy, use the scanner, and highlight the target. Select an available hack and confirm the upload.

If you own a quickhack but can't see it in the scanner, verify that it is installed in the equipped deck. Owning it and installing it are separate steps. Also check compatibility and the deck's available slots. Use the actual equipment screen to see what your build supports.

Keep a normal weapon ready while you learn. If you spend your available RAM and a second enemy approaches, you still need a way to defend yourself. Position near cover so you can recover or change tools if the first upload doesn't solve the situation.

Scan the target and choose the right effect

Read the list the scanner gives you for that enemy. Check which hacks are usable and what the game reports about cost or restrictions. A hack that worked on one target can be unavailable or less useful against another. Confirm the target before starting an upload when several enemies overlap.

Choose the effect based on the problem. If an enemy is threatening you right now, a suitable disruption can buy room to move. If a target is already isolated, an available damage hack may help you finish it. Read the tooltip and don't spend all your RAM on an effect that doesn't address what the enemy is doing.

Watch the upload rather than assuming the effect is instant. Keep track of the target while it completes and use the opening you created. If you break line of sight for safety, check the result when you can see the target again. The effect can change how you approach even if it doesn't defeat the enemy on its own.

Keep RAM for the next decision

Check the remaining RAM after the first hack. If you expect more enemies, leave room for another useful effect. Spending everything on a single target can work when the fight is almost over. It can be a poor trade when several enemies are still active and one of them is about to rush you.

If your build supports a queue, test a short sequence on an ordinary enemy before trying it during a difficult fight. Read the combined cost and the order of the effects. Put the setup effect before the action that relies on it. Check whether the first effect had enough time to matter.

For example, if you want to limit a dangerous enemy's options before attacking, start with the control effect you verified. Wait until you see what changed, then decide whether to use another hack or finish with a weapon. This leaves you with a clear choice instead of committing resources blindly.

Fix a hack that is missing or unavailable

Check the equipped operating system, installed hacks, target, and remaining RAM. If the scanner offers no action, try a known eligible target and compare the options. If the hack appears but is unavailable, read the reason rather than repeatedly selecting it. Change targets, recover resources, or use another tool as appropriate.

If your hack completes but the result seems weak, read the effect again and check whether it had a condition you didn't meet. Test a single hack on a manageable target. Once you can see the result, combine it with the part of your build that benefits from it.

Before a hard fight, verify the deck, the hack you want to open with, and an alternate action if the cost or target changes. That makes the scanner a practical combat tool instead of another menu to navigate under fire.