Crime and punishment in the original Cyberpunk 2077 was something of a touchy subject, especially for gamers weaned on other open-world games set in a city where the temptation to indulge in wanton havoc was restrained by the response of law enforcement. Simply put, having a bunch of generic NPCs teleport in and start shooting you in response to criminal actions, while ignoring equally antisocial behavior by other NPCs wasn’t a rewarding or immersive experience. In response to these criticisms, CDProjekt Red has overhauled its policing system for patch 2.0, and on this page we’ll discuss how the new and improved NCPD works.
(1 of 2) As you wreck havoc, a wanted level - represented by one to five stars - will appear next to your minimap on the top right of the screen.
As you wreck havoc, a wanted level - represented by one to five stars - will appear next to your minimap on the top right of the screen. (left), Break line of sight with your pursuers and hide somewhere out of the way - when the cops can no longer see you, the wanted stars will turn dim. (right)
Wanted Level in Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.0¶
Crime and punishment in Cyberpunk 2077 patch 2.0 is pretty simple; in fact, if you’ve played games like Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row, you’ll be very familiar with it. If you commit illegal actions you’ll gain a wanted level, as indicated by a column of stars that will appear on the upper right of your screen, adorning the left-hand side of the minimap (these stars won’t appear until you have some degree of wanted level). Some actions that will get you a wanted level include:
- Harming civilians or NCPD (hostiles - basically any NPC with a yellow chevron over their head - are fair game).
- Being detected while in NCPD restricted areas.
- Stealing police vehicles.
Night City is a fairly anarchistic place with lax gun laws, so it’s actually somewhat difficult to end up with a wanted level unless you explicitly go out of your way to get one. This will most likely occur when some neutral NPC ends up as collateral damage; you’re just not incentivized or provided the opportunity to end up on the wrong side of the law in Cyberpunk 2077.
The wanted level almost always starts at one star and progresses through each star - up to five stars - in order. There doesn’t seem to be certain crimes that bump you up higher or faster than others, so if you for some reason want to draw police attention (you don’t get any EXP or drops, so gameplay-wise, there’s not much point), your best bet is to cause as many civilian casualties as possible, then engage the NCPD when they show up. As you rack up a higher body count, the wanted level will increase, with the following effects:
(1 of 3) While things may start out manageable, when you hit a two star wanted level you’ll find yourself hounded by pairs of police in patrol vehicles.
One Star Wanted Level¶
Commit some petty offense and you’ll earn a one star wanted level, which is honestly fairly tame. Any cops that spot you will attack, and cops will be marked on your minimap, but they won’t necessarily come looking for you if one is nearby. As long as you avoid blue dots on your map an break line of sight, this will probably resolve itself on its own.
Two Star Wanted Level¶
The first wanted level with real consequences, cops will not just incidentally attack you if they spot you, they’ll actively seek you out. The main thing to watch out for here are patrol cars which will head to your last known location (and environs around), each of which hold two beat cops. It’s not a great deal of danger, as beat cops aren’t that lethal, but they can build up numbers and you’ll need to put in a bit of effort to escape.
Three Star Wanted Level¶
Whooo, you stepped in it now! This is a major step up from the two star wanted level, as cops will arrive in far greater numbers, arriving in groups of four via larger vehicles. In addition, the fleshy beat cops will be reinforced by robots (who, if anything, are actually less dangerous than their organic counterparts), and heavily armored tactical officers, along with the odd sniper. If you’re out in the open, you’re in trouble, as you’ll soon be swamped by NCPD - seeking security in the alleys and ruins of Night City is your best bet.
Four Star Wanted Level¶
Surprisingly not much of a step up from the three star wanted level, the ranks of your enemies may now include hostile netrunners and the cavalry may arrive in proper APCs, although the NCPD will not use the mounted vehicle weapons on you, for whatever reason.
Five Star Wanted Level¶
If you were expecting tanks or something, you may be disappointed, but that doesn’t mean the highest wanted level - five stars - is a breeze. In addition to the hordes of NCPD involved in previous wanted levels, you’ll also have to deal with very dangerous groups of Maxtac Operators, who deploy via dropship, are heavily armed and armored, and boast cybernetic enhancements that make them worthy foes. There’s no shame in flight when faced with such overwhelming odds… you just might want to go on foot, as NCPD netrunners will most likely disable your vehicle.
Find an obscured place off the beaten path after breaking line of sight and you should be able to wait out police pursuit with little difficulty.
How to Lose Your Wanted Level in Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.0¶
The NCPD’s response is more organic and competent in patch 2.0, but super sleuths they are not. To escape from the NCPD, you need to break their line of sight - heading down alleys, going into/through buildings, and generally making as many turns as possible are all winning strategies. Avoiding open areas is a must, and you should strive to stay away from roads. This might not be the biggest deal at lower wanted levels - one beat cop isn’t hard to lose - but when you’ve got swarms of NCPD vehicles looking for you on the ground and in the air, it’s a necessity. Once you’ve broken the cop’s line of sight, the blue wanted stars will become transparent, and if you remain undetected they’ll start to flash, indicating that the search is about to be called off.
If you’ve played other games with similar systems, you may be expecting a game of cat and mouse, but the NCPD aren’t keen for a long search and won’t investigate every nook and cranny. Hiding behind a pillar, in a shipping crate, or on a roof is usually sufficient, so seek out areas off the road, turn some corners and find somewhere cozy to wait them out - they’re unlikely to take too many turns from the last spot they saw you, and reinforcements have a nasty habit of showing up uselessly on nearby roads, even if they’re above or below you!
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