The best Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath and how they change the game

A woman with blue hair stood at a neon-lit bar in Cyberpunk 2077 with a drink in her hand.
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

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 

Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath options explained

(Image credit: CDPR)

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.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Nomad lifepath

Cyberpunk 2077 Nomad lifepath

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

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

Cyberpunk 2077 Corpo lifepath

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

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

Cyberpunk 2077 Street Kid lifepath

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

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.

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Leon Hurley
Managing editor for guides

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. 

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