Here's What You Need To Know About Cyberpunk 2077's Lifepaths

When it drops on December 10th, Cyberpunk 2077 will definitely become the most important thing in our lives. CD Projekt Red has given us a sprawling, dystopian metropolis to spend hundreds of hours exploring in practically any way we see fit. That includes thousands of ways to customize the player character and make V your very own. 

One of the earliest and biggest decisions you'll have to make is which Lifepath to choose. Your Lifepath choice will be permanent, but it won't lock you into one playstyle — your skills level up the more you use them, a la Skyrim. But which Lifepath you choose does alter the game significantly, so it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with each one. 

You pick between one of three Lifepaths for your character: Corporate, Nomad, or Street Kid. Your Lifepath determines fundamental aspects of your character, like their style of dress, their personal motivations, their life events, and their relationships. Each Lifepath places you in a different starting area and grants different starting benefits. Later in the game, your Lifepath gives you different dialogue options and quests. 

Here's what you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077's Lifepaths.

Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in Night City, a highly stratified world where a few huge corporations own and run everything and dominate and exploit the rest of Night City's millions of less fortunate citizens. By choosing the Corpo Lifepath, you'll position yourself near the top of the social pyramid. Climbing the ladder is your main goal — or at least it's supposed to be. It's up to you whether you want to be the ultimate company person or a saboteur working from the inside.

Characters in the Corpo Lifepath start out with powerful military-grade cybernetic implants. Also, Corpo characters have higher-level dialogue skills, which will allow you to bluff your way through conversations or sense when someone else is bluffing. Again, other Lifepaths can hone these skills either by practice or by installing their own implants. But if you prefer to solve quests without always resorting to violence, Corpo will give you a head start. 

The Street Kid is on the exact opposite end of Night City's social spectrum. You start from the bottom of society, and you want to make your life better. While Corpos only look out for themselves, Street Kids rely on a community of friends, allies, and associates who help each other out. You'll have a broad knowledge of Night City's layout, its culture, its gangs, and more. 

Choosing Street Kid is all about who you know and who knows you. Because you grew up in Night City, you might run into police officers from the same neighborhood, and they may go easier on you. Alternatively, you might have a hard time negotiating with a Corpo type. Your familiarity with Night City will give you a network of contacts who will help you with everything from stealing cars to scoring drugs. So far, Street Kid is the most popular Lifepath, by a hair. 

The Nomads operate on the fringes of Night City. They don't really fit into the social structure and instead band together with other groups of Nomads. Family is the most important part of their identity. Your Nomad, however, has broken away from their group and is now going it alone. You start the game outside the city itself, in Night City's "Badlands" region, a Mad Max-style lawless area. So, if you like a "lone wolf" playstyle, this is the one for you. 

Nomads are most familiar with other Nomads, which will give you a comprehensive knowledge of all their groups and motivations. Nomads tend to be outlaw/smuggler types, and one advantage you get is that you'll have knowledge of ongoing Corpo caravan routes, which makes it easier to attack and loot them. Another advantage is that they can analyze heists pulled by other gangs and then use that knowledge however they see fit.