In Night City, a clean headshot can save you from an entire room of trouble. The Cyberpunk 2077 Cool Attribute makes that approach easier, strengthening critical hits and unlocking useful stealth abilities. It also supports precision shooting and throwing weapons, while Double Trouble lets you dual-wield Power handguns.
The catch? Cool only pays off when its perks match your weapons. Here’s where I’d spend the points and which upgrades actually change how you play.
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What Does the Cool Attribute Do?
Each point in Cool adds 1.25% Critical Damage, for a total of 25% at level 20. That’s Critical Damage, not Critical Chance: your critical hits hurt more, but they don’t happen more often just because you increased Cool.
Cool also unlocks certain dialogue choices. Its perks support silenced guns and handguns, alongside precision rifles, sniper rifles and throwing weapons. The stealth bonuses aren’t automatic; you have to buy the relevant perks.
How to Increase Cool
Open the Character menu and spend Attribute Points on Cool. The attribute starts at 3 and caps at 20, with new perk tiers unlocking at 4, 9, 15 and 20 Cool.
Reaching a threshold only makes its perks available. You’ll still need Perk Points to unlock them, and some upgrades have prerequisites within their branch.
Cool Attribute Perks Explained
The trick is to choose a branch that fits your favorite weapon instead of spreading points across everything.
Level 4: Stealth
Feline Footwork makes crouched movement safer and faster, while Killer Instinct boosts damage with silenced firearms and throwing weapons outside combat.
Level 9: Focus and Throwing Weapons
Focus rewards controlled, accurate gunfire by changing how shooting uses Stamina, while Scorpion Sting improves throwing-weapon recovery and adds Poison effects.
Level 9: Double Trouble
Double Trouble lets V dual-wield Power pistols and revolvers, with Heywood Hurricane providing a special attack that fires both guns together.
Level 15: Deadeye and Ninjutsu
Deadeye improves precise shots while Stamina stays above 85%, and Ninjutsu unlocks crouch sprinting for faster stealth movement.
Level 15: Juggler
Juggler can instantly reset throwing-weapon cooldowns after qualifying neutralizations, letting a knife-focused build keep attacking.
Level 20: Legend Perks
Nerves of Tungsten-Steel enhances precision shooting, Run ‘N’ Gun supports mobile handgun combat, and Style Over Substance rewards throwing weapons during movement.
Which Cool Build Should You Choose?
For a stealth pistol build, start with Killer Instinct and Feline Footwork, then work toward Focus and Deadeye. Add Ninjutsu if you want to move quickly between cover positions without announcing your arrival.
For a sniper build, prioritize Focus and Deadeye, followed by Long Shot to remove distance-based damage reduction while Deadeye is active. At 20 Cool, Nerves of Tungsten-Steel makes qualifying revolver and precision rifle headshots guaranteed critical hits during Deadeye.
For throwing knives, start with Killer Instinct, pick up Scorpion Sting at 9 Cool, and aim for Juggler at 15. I’d prioritize Juggler over minor damage bonuses. Having another knife ready immediately matters when the first throw doesn’t solve the problem.
Best Weapons and Cyberware for Cool
Her Majesty, the silenced Iconic pistol from Phantom Liberty, pairs particularly well with stealth and Optical Camo. Overwatch, obtained through Panam’s questline, suits suppressed sniper builds, while Blue Fang gives throwing-knife builds a way to stun enemies.
For cyberware, Optical Camo supports stealth and works with Vanishing Act. Kerenzikov helps with aiming during movement, while Stabber improves Critical Chance for throwable weapons. You don’t need any one implant to make Cool useful, but the right combination makes its perks shine.
Cool vs. Headhunter
Cool and Headhunter are separate systems. You raise Cool with Attribute Points. Headhunter levels through stealth takedowns and headshots, among other combat actions.
Headhunter reaches level 60, offering rewards such as reduced enemy visibility and extra Perk Points, along with bonuses that complement Cool builds.
Is Cool Worth Maxing Out?
For most focused builds, 15 Cool is an excellent target: it unlocks Deadeye and Ninjutsu, plus Juggler for throwing weapons, without committing all the way to 20. Max Cool if you specifically want a Legend perk that benefits your main weapon.
You can refund individual Perk Points outside combat, but the standard Attribute Point reset is available only once. That’s a good reason to test perk combinations before committing your entire build.
My recommendation? Pick your weapon first, then let Cool do its job. Night City gives you enough surprises without spending precious points on perks you’ll never use.
Cyberpunk 2077
