The best Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath and how they change the game
Should you pick Street Kid, Nomad or Corpo in Cyberpunk 2077 character creation?
You need to choose your Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath shortly after booting up the game for the first time, and while the decision may seem daunting, it's not actually that big of a deal. All it changes is your intro mission, because you're essentially picking which background your version of V comes from, along with a couple of very minor dialogue choices later in the game.
Your options are Nomad, Street Kid, or Corpo, and they're all fairly self-explanatory. Below, we have the details for each of them and how they'll impact your Cyberpunk 2077 journey, so beware there are some minor spoilers for the opening hour or so. Here's our rundown of the best Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath and which one you should pick.
All Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath options explained
At the start you'll have to pick a lifepath from Street Kid, Nomad, and Corpo in Cyberpunk 2077. It's essentially a backstory for your character - who they are and where they come from. Each has a separate opening story mission and that is largely the only difference. Once you've played through whatever you've gone for every choice will end up in the same apartment, with the same clothes, weapons, mods and so on. Nothing meaningful is lost of gained depending on the choice you make. You'll get the occasional distinct lifepath dialogue options, but these mainly, again, are more about adding color and don't actually change anything.
Cyberpunk 2077 tips | Cyberpunk 2077 length | Cyberpunk 2077 map | Cyberpunk 2077 hacking | Cyberpunk 2077 weapons | Cyberpunk 2077 builds | Cyberpunk 2077 Mantis Blades | Cyberpunk 2077 romance options | Cyberpunk 2077 level cap | Cyberpunk 2077 endings | Cyberpunk 2077 bugs | Cyberpunk 2077 crashes | Cyberpunk 2077 fastest cars | Cyberpunk 2077 cheats
Cyberpunk 2077 Nomad lifepath
Playing as a Nomad starts you out in the Badlands, having just recently left your Nomad clan to go it alone. You'll start getting your car repaired after it broke down, before being run out of town by the sheriff. You'll then meet with a client looking for help smuggling something into Night City. Together you cross the border and while things don't go smoothly it all ends with you living in Night City ready to take on the world.
Cyberpunk 2077 Corpo lifepath
Cyberpunk 2077 Corpo lifepath
Starting out as a Corpo means your game begins in Arasaka Tower, which becomes quite an important location later in the game for the main story. You get called to the big bosses office, where he's watching a meeting with the European Space Council. Things turn… sour, Jenkins gives you a special task, and off you go to meet with a friend at a nightclub to mull things over. You're followed, however, and things go from bad to worse for you. Fast forward six months, you've left Arasaka Corp, and you're ready to take on Night City as a mercenary from your apartment in Megabuilding H10.
Cyberpunk 2077 Street Kid lifepath
Choosing the Street Kid lifepath means you're a child of Night City. Born and raised in Watson, you're well-known in the area but you've been away for a couple of years having tried and failed to make a life elsewhere. Plenty of the local fixers know your name, and plenty of others are pleased to see you back. The barman at your local is having some trouble, and the fact you're known to be a reliable merc, means he comes to you for help. He's got himself in a bit of debt with Kirk, a fixer with quite the reputation for being a troublemaker. You'll go and visit Kirk and offer to do him a job in return for clearing the debt, but of course not everything is quite as easy as Kirk claims when it comes to actually getting said job done. But you do make a fast friend off the back of it, and really kick off your return to Night City in style.
How to steal cars in Cyberpunk 2077 | How to make money in Cyberpunk 2077 | How to respec in Cyberpunk 2077 | How to holster your weapon in Cyberpunk 2077 | Can you change your appearance in Cyberpunk 2077 | Cyberpunk 2077 Overheat attack guide | How many acts are in Cyberpunk 2077?
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.