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Build V Like the Edgerunners: Lifepaths and Playstyles for Each Character

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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For the closest role-play matches, choose Streetkid for David, Rebecca, and Maine; Corpo for Faraday and Adam Smasher; and either Corpo or Streetkid for Lucy, depending on which part of her past you want to echo. Then build around each character’s defining playstyle: a Sandevistan and close-range combat for David, a cyberdeck and quickhacks for Lucy, and a shotgun-focused approach for Rebecca. These are interpretations, not canonical lifepaths or exact copies. The original anime’s crew and the new cast of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 should also be treated separately.

At a glance
Name Best for Key spec Checked
David Martinez Fast, close-range combat Streetkid; Sandevistan; Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability Nov 2026
Lucy Stealthy netrunning Corpo or Streetkid; cyberdeck; Intelligence Nov 2026
Rebecca Aggressive shotgun combat Streetkid; Body; optional 2.5 dual-wield pistols or revolvers Nov 2026
Maine Durable frontline combat Streetkid; Body and Technical Ability Nov 2026
Faraday Fixer-style role-play Corpo; Cool, stealth, negotiation Nov 2026
Adam Smasher Cyberware-heavy direct combat Corpo; Body and Technical Ability Nov 2026

What does a lifepath represent in Cyberpunk 2077?

A lifepath is V’s backstory and role-play starting point; it is not a class or a combat build. The anime never establishes that David, Lucy, or the others chose one of V’s opening lifepaths. A match such as “David is a Streetkid” means that Streetkid is a useful way to role-play a similar origin, not that it is canon.

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Builds are interpretations too. They translate a character’s on-screen habits or the official character description into the game’s available mechanics. V can approximate a character’s speed, netrunning, or reliance on chrome, but that does not give V the character’s biography, body, or complete equipment. CD PROJEKT RED describes V as able to pursue different combinations of weapons, hacking, implants, stealth, and direct combat; the character matches below are suggestions within that system.

How should you choose the matching build?

Start with the character’s most recognizable way of operating, then choose the operating system and attributes that support it. The operating system choice matters particularly for David versus Lucy: a Sandevistan supports mobile direct combat, while a cyberdeck supports hacking. Do not plan as if V can run both operating-system archetypes simultaneously.

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  1. Choose the role-play lens. Pick a lifepath for the kind of background you want to imagine for V. Choose Corpo for a story centered on institutions or access, Streetkid for a life shaped by the street, or Nomad when the character’s outsider background is the strongest parallel.
  2. Choose the central combat loop. For fast direct combat, consider a Sandevistan and close-range weapons. For netrunning, use a cyberdeck and prioritize Intelligence. These are distinct directions, not two systems to equip together.
  3. Set attribute priorities, not invented totals. Body supports the durable, aggressive style associated with Adrenaline Rush; Intelligence supports netrunning; Technical Ability fits chrome-heavy priorities. Cool can support stealth and, since update 2.5, an optional dual-wield route for eligible Power pistols and revolvers. Exact attribute totals are not needed to capture the character’s identity.
  4. Fit cyberware to capacity. V’s Cyberware Capacity limits how many implants can be equipped. Update 2.0 rebuilt the perk and cyberware systems and made capacity the constraint to plan around, so a chrome-heavy theme does not mean every implant can be installed at once.
  5. Separate look from mechanics. Clothing is primarily cosmetic after the 2.0 overhaul. A jacket can evoke an anime design, but it is not evidence of an armor-focused build or a gameplay requirement. Update 2.5 Glamdocs add visual customization for specific arm cyberware.

The advice here reflects the game’s documented systems and character descriptions, not a tested ranking of damage, difficulty, or effectiveness. No exact level-60 point spreads or guaranteed combat outcomes are established for these character-inspired builds.

Which Cyberpunk 2077 build fits David Martinez?

Streetkid with a Sandevistan is the clearest role-play match for David: build toward fast movement, close-range pressure, and the ability to withstand a fight. CD PROJEKT RED’s character description emphasizes that David pushes his chrome to the limit, which makes a cyberware-forward interpretation more grounded than an exact-copy claim.

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Recommended direction

  • Lifepath: Streetkid is a thematic choice for the street-shaped role-play; it is not an official lifepath assigned to David.
  • Operating system: A Sandevistan is the defining choice for a speed-and-direct-combat fantasy. It supports this build’s central identity; it is not a substitute for a cyberdeck’s hacking role.
  • Attributes: Prioritize Body for surviving close combat, Reflexes for movement, and Technical Ability to support cyberware capacity. Treat these as priorities rather than a prescribed point-by-point leveling plan.
  • Weapons: Keep the emphasis on close-range weapons to complement an aggressive, mobile approach.

The trade-off is that this is not Lucy’s netrunner setup: choosing the Sandevistan direction means centering V on direct action rather than a cyberdeck-and-quickhack loop. V also cannot reproduce David’s exact physical condition, life history, or full screen loadout simply by choosing these mechanics.

Can you build Lucy as a netrunner?

Yes. A cyberdeck, Intelligence-first priorities, and queued quickhacks are the most direct playable approximation of Lucy. CD PROJEKT RED explicitly describes her as a netrunner; choosing Corpo or Streetkid for V’s lifepath is an interpretive decision about which aspect of Lucy’s past to emphasize.

Recommended direction

  • Lifepath: Choose Corpo if you want V’s role-play to lean into a secretive institutional past. Choose Streetkid if the focus is on a life outside institutions. Neither is Lucy’s canonical V lifepath.
  • Operating system: Use a cyberdeck and build around quickhacks rather than a Sandevistan. Update 2.0’s documented netrunning changes include queued quickhacks and Overclock, giving the playstyle a distinct alternative to speed-focused direct combat.
  • Attributes: Put Intelligence first for netrunning. Cool is an optional secondary direction when you want more emphasis on stealth.
  • Approach: Make hacking the center of the build and use stealth as support if that suits your role-play. Do not treat stealth as a required part of Lucy’s game build.

The choice is between emulating a broad character role and copying a specific scene. A netrunner build captures the former; the game’s systems do not establish that V can reproduce every action or piece of technology shown in the anime.

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Is Rebecca better with a shotgun or pistols?

A shotgun is the more directly supported starting point: CD PROJEKT RED’s character description associates Rebecca with one. Pistols are an optional variation, not a replacement for the documented shotgun motif; update 2.5 adds a dual-wielding route for eligible Power pistols and revolvers.

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Shotgun-first version

  • Lifepath: Streetkid is a thematic match.
  • Attributes: Make Body the priority for an aggressive, close-range approach. Technical Ability is a useful accompanying priority if you want to lean into cyberware.
  • Weapons: Center the character-inspired version on a shotgun. This is the clearest connection to the official description, rather than a claim about a complete canonical loadout.

Optional pistol version in update 2.5

If you want a different interpretation, Cool can support a pistol-focused direction. The 2.5 notes introduce Double Trouble, a dual-wielding option for eligible Power pistols or revolvers. That gives Rebecca-inspired role-play another route, but it does not change the source-backed shotgun association or establish an exact pistol setup for her.

Update 2.5 was released on October 22, 2026. Check that the game is updated before planning around its new dual-wielding option; the documented feature is limited to eligible weapon types, not a promise that every pistol can be dual-wielded.

How do you build Maine as a frontline leader?

Use a Streetkid role-play lens and prioritize Body and Technical Ability for a durable, chrome-forward frontline character. The official character description identifies Maine as the crew’s leader and David’s mentor, but does not assign him a canonical V build or specify a complete set of combat attributes.

For the playable interpretation, Body supports a more durable approach, while Technical Ability lets the build emphasize cyberware within V’s capacity limit. Favor close-range weapons if you want combat to feel direct. These choices translate the “frontline mentor” idea into game mechanics; they should not be mistaken for an official Maine loadout.

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What build fits Faraday?

Corpo is a useful lifepath for a Faraday-inspired fixer role-play, paired with Cool, stealth, and negotiation as the thematic focus. CD PROJEKT RED describes Faraday as a well-connected fixer, not as a character with a documented, distinctive combat setup.

That difference matters: the strongest match here is about social position and approach, not weapon selection. Treat V as a low-combat operator who favors planning and discretion if that is the role you want to play. Do not infer a unique Faraday combat build from the fixer description alone.

Can V copy Adam Smasher’s full-body conversion?

No exact copy is established by the game’s character descriptions or mechanics; Body and Technical Ability with heavy cyberware and direct combat can only suggest the broad theme. CD PROJEKT RED describes Adam Smasher as extremely cybernetic and employed by Arasaka, which makes Corpo a reasonable role-play lifepath, not proof of an equivalent transformation for V.

For a playable approximation, focus on Body for direct combat and Technical Ability for a chrome-heavy direction, while respecting Cyberware Capacity. V’s implants remain constrained by the playable system, and the game’s character-building options do not make V an exact full-body-conversion copy of Smasher.

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What about Dorio, Kiwi, Pilar, and Falco?

The available official character descriptions do not establish precise combat identities or exact loadouts for these four characters, so a detailed character-to-build map would risk presenting guesses as fact. If you want to borrow their broad crew archetypes for role-play, keep the assignment explicitly provisional rather than treating it as a canon match.

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  • Dorio: A frontline Body teammate is a provisional archetype, not a verified attribute profile.
  • Kiwi: A netrunner-style interpretation should be treated as provisional here; the available material does not support an exact build sheet.
  • Pilar: A tech-and-arms theme is a possible role-play prompt, not a documented combat setup.
  • Falco: A driver-and-pistol theme is also provisional rather than a sourced skill distribution.

For Pilar in particular, CD PROJEKT RED confirms in its Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS description that Rebecca and Pilar are siblings. That relationship can inform role-play, but it does not establish a matching V lifepath or combat build.

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Which characters are in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2?

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is a separate ten-episode anime with a new cast, not a continuation of David’s crew. The sequel’s characters therefore need their own interpretations; do not merge them into the original crew or describe the series as forthcoming.

Sequel character build interpretations
Character Role-play match Build direction What is established
Weak, formerly King Low-cyberware solo; no single lifepath established here Body and Cool; deliberately limit chrome Former top edgerunner living without chrome; interpretation, not a class
D Nomad Intelligence and cyberdeck; optional Technical Ability for gadgets Officially described as a Snake Nation netrunner
Roman Carax No exact lifepath established Cool and Intelligence for an investigative or stealth role-play Young cinephile documenting others; no signature weapon or filmmaker class established
Talia Corpo Body and Technical Ability; aggressive, chrome-heavy combat Corpo-tower upbringing and influence of Maelstrom culture; build is interpretive
Avida Corpo is a possible role-play lens No exact attribute distribution established Former corpo insider
Meshuga No exact lifepath established Intelligence and cyberdeck are a role-based interpretation Officially identified as a netrunner
Miguel No exact lifepath established Technical Ability is a role-based interpretation Officially identified as a techie
Emily No exact lifepath established No exact attribute distribution established Officially identified as a solo

Weak, formerly King

Weak is described as a former top edgerunner who now lives without chrome. A deliberately low-cyberware Body/Cool solo is a role-play interpretation of that contrast, not an official class or verified character build. The 2.5 Clampdown quest offers a King-inspired five-piece gear set as a quest unlock; it is not evidence that King is a playable class or that V can become him.

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D

D’s official description calls him a Snake Nation netrunner, making Nomad with Intelligence and a cyberdeck an unusually close background-and-role match. Add Technical Ability only if you want V’s interpretation to emphasize gadgets; the source description does not provide D’s attribute totals.

Roman Carax and Talia

Roman is described as a young cinephile who documents others. Cool and Intelligence can support an investigative or stealth role-play, but no filmmaker class or signature weapon is established. Talia’s Corpo-tower upbringing points toward Corpo as a thematic origin, while her exposure to Maelstrom’s chrome-obsessed culture suggests Body and Technical Ability for an aggressive, cyberware-heavy interpretation. Neither suggestion is a sourced equipment list.

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Avida, Meshuga, Miguel, and Emily

The publisher also identifies Avida as a former corpo insider, Meshuga as a netrunner, Miguel as a techie, and Emily as a solo. Those stated roles offer starting points, but they do not establish exact lifepaths or attribute distributions. For example, Intelligence and a cyberdeck are a reasonable role-based reading of a netrunner; they should not be presented as Meshuga’s verified skill sheet.

Do these builds require Phantom Liberty or update 2.5?

The central original-series archetypes do not depend on the Phantom Liberty expansion. The publisher says the expansion supplies an exclusive Relic skill tree, so any recommendation that relies on that tree should be labeled expansion-only; the builds above do not require claiming access to it.

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Update 2.5 is relevant to Rebecca’s optional dual-wield interpretation and to visual customization, not to the basic David, Lucy, or Maine archetypes. Its notes, released October 22, 2026, introduce dual-wielding and new cosmetics. The Clampdown quest’s King-inspired five-piece gear set is a quest reward, not a new character class. As with any live-game feature, availability can change with later updates; the stated version and release date identify the basis for these 2.5-specific details.

For visual role-play, treat outfits and cyberware appearance separately from build mechanics. Clothing is primarily cosmetic after update 2.0, and update 2.5’s Glamdocs add visual customization for specific arm cyberware. A costume resemblance may make a character-inspired V more recognizable, but it does not change the character’s stats or turn a cosmetic item into a combat setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes are in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2?

CD PROJEKT RED’s official sequel page describes it as a 10-episode anime. It has its own cast and standalone story rather than reusing David’s crew.

Are Rebecca and Pilar siblings?

Yes. CD PROJEKT RED identifies Rebecca and Pilar as siblings in its description of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS.

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Where can I find official Edgerunners cosplay references?

CD PROJEKT RED’s official cosplay directory offers downloadable references for characters from both the original anime and its sequel. Its fan-content guidance says not to make cosplay for sale or use cosplay to promote other companies or products.

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