Weapon Mods in Cyberpunk 2077 are modifiers that are attached to weapons to either boost their stats overall or grant them a new ability. These boosts can range anywhere from recoil reduction, damage boost, and add status effects or just make the weapon non-lethal.
Weapon mods can be combined with other mods to create unique combinations and completely change the way your build functions. The downside is that the change is permanent so you will need to choose wisely what to slot in or you can lose out on a lot of beneficial upgrades.
With so many options on the table, it is difficult to make the decision so we have ranked the best gear mods in Cyberpunk 2077 to make the choice a little easier.
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How weapon mods changed after Update 2.0
You could previously swap out weapon mods at the cost of destroying the old ones, and then craft new ones through the crafting menu.
With the Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 update, there are now 41 different mods that are specific to gun types like SMGs, shotguns, melee or ranged, etc.
The non-lethal Pax mods are the only ones that can be equipped with any weapon type. There are also 4 Iconic mods called the Chimera mods that are exclusive to Iconic weapons only. They can’t be unequipped and you can only craft one per playthrough. They are that powerful.
You will be able to find these mods while exploring in free-roam, like on bodies or in loot crates, while others can be bought from weapon vendors of Night City.
If you don’t find the desirable mod in a shop, you will have to wait 24 hours in-game for the shop pool to reset. You can also skip the time if waiting is not your to-do list.
The upgrading system for mods has also changed and you will no longer be able to craft them from scratch. Instead, you need two copies of the tier below the same mod to even get the recipe to upgrade it to the maximum level. Lastly, the mods are now permanent and can no longer be replaced or removed.
Best weapon mods to get after Cyberpunk 2077 2.0
Weapon choices and builds are always personal and unique to each player but there are some that will come out short while others perform better. To make sure you know the better choice, we have ranked Cyberpunk 2077 weapon mods from worst to best.
10. Cold Shoulder
Mod Type: Melee Mod
Rarity: Rare, Epic
The Cold Shoulder weapon mod increases damage by 5-6%, depending on the rarity. It is just a simple damage boost and is best used with weapons that are already faster and don’t need Crit stats for damage.
That being said, Crit is almost always better to have, it is a great choice for starter melee builds and will make the difference you have been looking for.
You can loot the Cold Shoulder melee weapon mod in Cyberpunk 2077 from crates and chests. We found one outside the Corpo Plaza in Heywood in the Reconciliation Park.
9. Vendetta
Mod Type: Ranged Mod
Rarity: Rare
Vendetta Weapon Mod increases Headshot damage by 10% and is best paired with Snipers and pistols. If you want pistol one-shots or long-distance takedowns, you will definitely find it worth a Mod Slot.
Headshots are extremely powerful on their own, enough to take down some powerful enemies quickly so an extra 10% boost can reduce the number of hits you need to connect.
Being a rare mod, Vendetta in Cyberpunk 2077 can be looted from Valentinos in Heywood but is difficult to come across. You can also find it during the Assault In Progress in The Glen area on the floor, near Valentino Alley and Glen Apartments fast travel points.
8. Scourge
Mod Type: Melee Mod
Rarity: Uncommon, Rare
Scourge Weapon Mod increases the Crit Damage of your melee weapon by 5-10%, depending on the rarity.
The simple Crit Damage boost is one of the more useful stats you can get on melees, or on any weapon for that matter since it is just a free damage increase without prerequisites.
Certain Katanas like the Jinchu-Maru which already have a 100% Crit Chance, will appreciate the damage boost and is best paired with weapons that can get the Crit Chance from other sources.
Like Phantom weapon mod, which you will find further down the list, you can get it in the crates at Rocky Ridge, and Badlands during the Ghost Town quest. You can also find it across all melee weapon mod vendors in Night City.
7. Pulverize
Mod Type: Ranged Mod
Rarity: Uncommon
Pulverize is a ranged weapon mod designed for players with a more free-shooting style who just want to take down the enemy without thinking much about aim and strategy. It increases damage inflicted to limbs by 5%, so basically makes your body shots deal more damage.
By stacking the mod, you can get this up to 20%, which is nothing to scoff at. You can slot it in any weapon and it will deliver what it promises, making it a great early game choice.
You can also get it pretty early on in the game and can be bought from all Melee mod vendors in the city but most commonly appears in the 2nd Amendment weapons shop at V’s Apartment in Watson and the Bulwark weapon vendor in Wellsprings, Heywood.
6. Crunch
Mod Type: Ranged Mod
Rarity: All (Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary)
Crunch provides a basic 7% damage buff to all shots, without any specific requirements. You can slot it in any one-shot weapon like Death and Taxes or anything with good elemental damage for best use.
Having just a flat-out damage boost, which can get even higher with each stack, puts the weapon mod higher in our best weapon mod ranks in Cyberpunk 2077.
The best thing about the Crunch weapon mod is that it is future-proof meaning that you can still make use of it even in mid to end-game. This may not seem that much but when you compete with stronger enemies later on, you would want to get any little boost possible.
The Crunch mod is found randomly in loot boxes so you will need to check all the roof-tops and corners so you don’t miss any.
5. Phantom
Mod Type: Ranged Mod
Rarity: Common, Uncommon, Rare
Phantom Weapon Mod is another worthy entry on our list of best weapon mods in Cyberpunk 2077. It increases the fire rate by 5% of the weapon it is slotted into.
You can equip it with SMGs, rifles, and shotguns to not only increase your damage output but also trigger passive damage quickly.
If you pair the right Cyberware, it is used to apply more elemental damage along with regular source and even trigger passives like EMP Pulses more frequently.
Getting your hands on the Phantom weapon mod depends a bit on your luck since there is no sure way to acquire it.
You will find it while playing through Panam’s storyline, particularly the Ghost Town mission, in the crates at Rocky Ridge, Badlands. There is a chance to either get Scourge or Phantom mod, so you will need to get lucky to get enough to get maximum benefit.
You can also buy it from all weapon mod vendors in Night City, but it is a very rare occurrence.
4. Pacifier
Mod Type: Ranged Mod
Rarity: All (Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary)
Like other weapon mods, Pacifier also increases damage but it boosts Crit Damage by 7% meaning you can stack it up to a flat 28% increase. Granted it is difficult to obtain the legendary version, but grinding for it will just raise your damage levels above.
It works best with weapons that can obtain Crit Chance from secondary sources like the Buzzsaw SMG or shotguns like the Headsman or Sovereign. Being able to improve any ranged weapon in Cyberpunk 2077 makes it one of the better mods to get your hands on.
You can get the Pacifier mod from all weapon vendors but we found it frequently in the Rifles and Pistols vendor next to the Halsey & MLK fast travel point in Downtown, Heywood.
3. Countermass
Mod Type: Ranged Mod
Rarity: Epic
Countermass weapon mod adds one of the most unique buffs in Cyberpunk 2077 and that is eliminating horizontal recoil.
Many weapons have great damage output but their uncontrollable recoil makes it difficult to justify picking them over stable ones. With Countermass equipped, there is only vertical recoil making them not only manageable but accurate and consistent as well.
The reason why it ranks so much higher is that only one Countermass mod is required per weapon, leaving all other slots open which adds more customizable options to your build.
Fortunately, it is also pretty accessible and is carried mostly by weapon vendors in Heywood. The only thing is that Countermass is slightly more expensive than your usual mods at 1375 Eddies, but we believe it is worth grabbing a powerful mod even if it comes at a pretty price.
2. Kunai
Mod Type: Melee Mod
Rarity: Rare
Making almost top of the best gear mod in Cyberpunk 2077 rankings is the Kunai melee weapon mod, which is arguably an insane upgrade to all melees.
It increases attack speed by 0.3 seconds per hit which makes it a must-pick if you are using heavy weapons like the Sasquatch’s Hammer.
Being able to increase the number of hits per second, not only increases damage output but also the likelihood of activating passives. It also fixes the biggest criticism two-handed clubs faced, which was the slower attack speed leaving you vulnerable to enemy attacks.
Since the buff is universal, it can be slotted into all the best melee weapons in Cyberpunk 2077, with each stack improving your damage even more.
You can also acquire it pretty easily since all melee weapon vendors of Night City carry it.
1. Combat Amplifier
Mod Type: Ranged Mod
Rarity: Rare
Our top pick for the best weapon mod in Cyberpunk 2077 is the Combat Amplifier mod. This mod adds a unique ability that increases the chance to apply damage status effects like Bleeding, Poison, Burn, and Shock by 5% to any weapon it is equipped on.
This boost is applied to the damage status inflicted by your weapon and what makes it so broken is that if the weapon has no status effect, it will randomly apply any one of the statuses.
This means that you can take weapons like Malorian Arms or the Yinglong that already deal amazing damage on their own, they can now additionally add a free damage status effect to their kits.
By adding something new to already strong builds and enhancing existing ones, it is one of the best weapon mods you can find in Night City.
