Cyberpunk 2077’s Smart Weapons Have Barely Scratched the Surface

In Cyberpunk 2077, few offensive options are more effective than Smart Weapons. Developed with in-universe gyrojet technology, these firearms track the position of their targets, rounding corners and hitting their marks despite any potential obstacles. This can effectively trivialize enemies’ use of cover, so it’s no surprise that Smart Weapons are a favorite among Cyberpunk 2077 players, especially those favoring tech-focused or low-health builds.

But as useful as Smart Weapons often are, they’re also a bit boring. Sure, it’s fun to run and gun without having to worry about aiming, and to dispatch an encounter’s more annoying enemies—those that choose to never leave cover—but it can also undermine the difficulty of Cyberpunk 2077‘s combat. Theoretically, players using Smart Weapons can just camp behind cover themselves; they encourage a passive playstyle. Smart Weapons also aren’t quite as versatile as they first seem, since their low bullet velocity and damage output relative to other guns actually make them inferior in straightforward firefights. By getting a bit more creative with their implementation into the RPG framework, and by digging deeper into Cyberpunk lore, Project Orion could build upon Smart Weapons’ foundations in interesting ways.

How Project Orion Can Elevate Cyberpunk 2077's Version of Smart Weapons

Folding Greater Complexity Into Project Orion's Smart Weapon Arsenal

Put simply, the only real advantage or point-of-difference Smart Weapons have to offer is their enemy-tracking capabilities. The weapon class’s features would need to be expanded to keep them interesting in Project Orion, and something as small as adding one extra layer of utility could do the trick. Since they are so intrinsically linked to Cyberpunk‘s far-future tech, perhaps Smart Weapons could connect to Quickhacking in the sequel: players could add a Quickhack to a given Smart Weapon, adding a chance to inflict Overheat or Contagion on enemies in a flash, without needing to sacrifice RAM.

This alone would go a long way toward deepening Smart Weapon builds. Players could simply augment their damage-dealing potential by pairing a Smart Weapon with Short Circuit, Synapse Burnout, and other combat Quickhacks, or they could lean into Control, Covert, and Ultimate Quickhacks, blinding enemies, turning them against each other, and even making them turn their own weapons on themselves. This could provide paths toward any number of overpowered, expressive, and creative combat builds.

This could also be a boon for non-lethal playthroughs. Smart Weapons could be made non-lethal through a weapon mod (kind of like Skippy’s pacifist mode), or turned non-lethal by virtue of a non-lethal Quickhack like System Collapse. If Project Orion actually rewards players for playing non-lethally, or at least adds some kind of consequence for this playstyle, then Smart Weapons’ utility could be expanded even further.

Project Orion's Setting Could Inform How Smart Weapons Operate

It’s worth noting the possible limitations that Cyberpunk 2077‘s lore could impose on Smart Weapons in the sequel. At the moment, it’s not clear when Project Orion will be set: it could be a prequel to Cyberpunk 2077, it could be set directly after the events of the game, or it could take place even further in the future. Smart Weapons were invented in the 1960s, per Cyberpunk‘s lore, so they would likely appear regardless of when Project Orion is set, though a pre-2077 setting would likely restrict Smart Weapon development.

However, if Project Orion were to be set several years after Cyberpunk 2077, it’s conceivable that it could feature advancements in Smart Weapon technology. This could provide the narrative justification needed to get more ambitious with the weapon class, as in-universe firearms manufacturers may have become even more enthusiastic and inventive with their tools of violence.