How To Unlock The Relic Skill Tree And Access New Abilities
Unlocking the Relic skill tree opens up a dynamic tier of combat capabilities designed to significantly enhance your playstyle in Cyberpunk 2077. Introduced as a core component of the Phantom Liberty expansion, this specialized skill branch offers powerful combat modifiers and cyberware upgrades. Players looking to maximize their mercenary's potential must progress through key story triggers to gain access to these unique abilities.
Starting the Expansion and Meeting Songbird
To access the Relic skill tree, players must first own the Phantom Liberty expansion and progress through the main storyline until contacted by Songbird. This pivotal interaction occurs near the entrance to Dogtown after completing prerequisite campaign missions. Songbird temporarily hacks into V's biochip, instantly revealing the hidden Relic interface on your character menu.
During this initial encounter, Songbird grants you your first three Relic points to kickstart your progression. This immediate grant allows you to unlock a foundational perk right away, establishing new combat options early in the story. Additional bonus points are awarded automatically during major milestones in the expansion's main questline.
Locating Militech Data Terminals in Dogtown
Unlike standard abilities tied to character leveling, expanding your Relic perks requires finding Militech Data Terminals hidden throughout Dogtown. These yellow junction boxes hum distinct audio cues when you draw near, triggering a unique map marker to pinpoint their exact location. Exploring dense strongholds, abandoned buildings, and contested alleys will yield the remaining points needed to max out the tree.
Each terminal grants a single Relic point upon interaction, rewarding thorough exploration and environmental awareness. Hunting down all nine terminals in the district ensures you have enough resources to fully unlock every branch. This system encourages players to engage with Dogtown's dangerous perimeter while building an unstoppable character.
Maximizing New Cyberware and Tactical Abilities
The Relic skill tree delivers substantial enhancements tailored around iconic cyberware and tactical survival. Key abilities like Jailbreak empower Arm Cyberware such as Mantis Blades, Monowire, and Gorilla Arms with fresh heavy attacks and utility mechanics. Other pathways focus on stealth improvements, including Emergency Cloaking, which disrupts enemy targeting during active optical camouflage.
Players can also unlock Vulnerability Analytics, highlighting combat weaknesses in enemy armor to guarantee critical hits and massive armor penetration. By combining these specialized traits with standard attribute trees, players can craft incredibly lethal hybrid builds. Experimenting with different perk allocations allows you to adapt seamlessly to every threat in Night City.