Skill Is Earned - Leveling Revamped (Unlock Perks with Skill Proficiencies)
🟡 Updated this year⚠️ Install Order · 6 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview

🔍 Analysis
- 🏆 #423 of 452 Gameplay mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
You know, after a little more than 700 hours I spent playing Cyberpunk (500 of which were modded), I began to think about the leveling system of the game, how much of it was changed throughout the years, what I liked, what I disliked and whatnot. And at one point this thought came in my head - damn, do I think the skills in this game are wasted! I'm not saying that whatever mess it was in pre 2. 0 versions was better, but honestly it always seemed to me that the skill proficiency system had a lot of potential besides just being a gimmick centered around "grind exp, get some bonuses" typa stuff. So this one time a brilliant idea came to me and I decided I'd do a little leveling system revamp of sorts, where the natural progression would derive directly from your actions and shaping your playstyle accordingly. I present to you: Skill Is Earned!
Main Features
Okay so this mod does mainly three things: it lockes the perk tiers behind the skill levels, now dividing 4 tiers into 6 (functionally it still looks the same, it's just that Phenom and Pro perks are now divided into two sub-tiers) and unlocking as you level up your corresponding proficiencies; It also makes Attribute levels function a bit differently from the way they work in vanilla, now instead of locking perks they give you perk tickets - a sort of point currency which determines the maximum number of perks you can buy inside the corresponding perk tree at the moment. You can add more tickets to your attribute by increasing its level, or by installing a cyberware piece with the same attunement (the added cyberware bonus also scales with item's rarity); Lastly, it adds more flexibility to your character's builds by allowing you to remove attribute distribution restrictions in Character Creation menu, adding more bonuses to each Attribute you upgrade and making most of the perks independent from each other inside the trees (additional attribute bonuses and perk dependencies removal are accessible as separate add-ons in Files section). Lemme go into more details to each feature here, one by one:
- []Perk Unlocks[/]
So, the new perk unlock system works this way: you have an Advanced and a Simplified Perk Unlock systems, the main difference between the two is that a Simplified unlock system divides perks into 4 standard tiers - Novice, Phenom, Pro and Legend and it unlocks a new tier every 15 Skill Levels you reach within a tied skill (Headhunter ties to Cool, Shinobi to Reflexes, Netrunner to Intelligence, Solo to Body and Engineer to Tech). Advanced mode takes it a step further and instead divides the perks by 6 tiers - here Phenom and Pro Tiers are put in two sub-categories, one having the "main" milestone perks and the o
Overhauls Cyberpunk 2077's leveling so perk tiers unlock through skill proficiencies instead of attribute points alone. Attributes now grant perk tickets that limit how many perks you can buy per tree, with cyberware attunement adding bonus tickets. Removes character creation restrictions, adds per-attribute bonuses, and makes most perks independent. For players who want progression tied to playstyle.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Ties perk unlocks directly to how you actually play the game—no more grinding attributes just to access a perk.
- Perk ticket system gives attribute levels real meaning and makes cyberware choices matter for builds.
- Removing character creation restrictions opens up hybrid builds from the start.
⚠️ Cons
- Zero endorsements so far—untested by the wider community, so bugs or balance issues may still lurk.
- Description is cut off mid-sentence, leaving the exact scope of attribute bonuses and perk dependency removal unclear.
- No compatibility notes for other gameplay mods or existing saves—could conflict with current builds.
Cyberpunk 2077 players who feel vanilla skill progression is shallow and want leveling to reflect their actual playstyle. Build crafters who enjoy managing resources like perk tickets and min-maxing attribute/cyberware synergy will appreciate the added depth. Skip if you prefer the vanilla system or run heavy gameplay mod lists that might clash.
💡 Beginner Tips
- After installing, start a new character or respec to fully experience the new perk ticket system—existing saves may have attribute points locked in old ways.
- Test on a separate save first if you're running other perk/leveling mods; this overhauls core systems and could cause conflicts.
- If the mod requires manual installation, place files in `Cyberpunk 2077/archive/pc/mod` and check the mod page comments for any load order notes.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Cyberpunk 2077 Mods
- Author
- Van1shG0ld
- Version
- 1
- Downloads
- 95
- Endorsements
- 0
- Category
- Gameplay
- Created
- 8/14/2026
- Updated
- 8/14/2026
🔧 How to Install Cyberpunk 2077 Mods
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