I still remember the sound of V's boots hitting the asphalt in Night City. It was 2023, and I was trying to max out Athletics. Why? Because I wanted the 'Indestructible' perk, a flat 10% damage reduction that felt mandatory on Very Hard. But the game demanded that I run, climb, and punch my way through an endless treadmill. In a world full of Quadra Turbo R-7s and iconic shotguns, why would I ever choose to jog around the map? That was the core problem with Cyberpunk 2077's original Athletics skill. It was not just slow; it was anti-fun.
The Old Grind Was Real
Before Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0, Athletics was the most annoying skill in Cyberpunk 2077. It leveled up only through physical activities: sprinting, climbing, sliding, and melee combat. At low levels, it moved at a decent pace. But once I hit Athletics 8 or 9, the bar barely budged. I found myself doing laps around Pacifica, climbing the same scaffolding, and deliberately avoiding vehicles just to squeeze out a few points. It felt like a chore, not a power fantasy.
The worst part was what sat behind that wall. 'Tenacious V' - a perk that prevents combat from disrupting automatic health regeneration - required Athletics 12. 'Indestructible' required Athletics 20. Those are not cosmetic bonuses. They are build-defining perks. And they were locked behind a grind that punished me for playing the game the way I wanted to play it. Why should a netrunner or a gunslinger be forced to run marathons just to survive a firefight?
Beyond the perks, Athletics also gave passive rewards: extra health, carrying capacity, and stamina. Those quality-of-life benefits made the grind even more frustrating. I wanted them, but I did not want to spend hours doing parkour in a city where I could be doing gigs, chasing cyberpsychos, or exploring Dogtown. The old system turned a role-playing game into a fitness simulator. And not a very good one.
What Phantom Liberty Actually Fixed
When CD Projekt Red announced Phantom Liberty, I hoped for a simple fix: lower the Athletics thresholds, or add a gym where V could work out. Instead, the studio went further. The 2.0 update that accompanied Phantom Liberty completely reworked the skill trees. The old stat-based skill levels were removed. Perks became ability-based, tied to attributes like Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence, and Cool. The mysterious Relic skill tree arrived with Phantom Liberty, but the core rework landed in the base game for everyone.
Suddenly, I did not need to grind Athletics to unlock Tenacious V or Indestructible. I could invest attribute points and perk points into the Body tree and build the V I actually wanted. The game stopped asking me to run laps and started asking me to make meaningful choices. That is a massive improvement. In 2026, I can look back and say that Phantom Liberty did not just add a spy-thriller story; it fixed one of the most irritating systems in the entire game.
Here is a quick comparison of what changed:
| Feature | Old Cyberpunk 2077 | Post-Phantom Liberty / Update 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Athletics progression | Separate skill level 1-20, gained by running, climbing, melee | Removed as a separate skill; perks integrated into attribute trees |
| Key perks | Tenacious V at Athletics 12, Indestructible at Athletics 20 | Available through Body attribute and perk points |
| Passive rewards | Health, carry capacity, stamina tied to Athletics level | Tied to attribute progression and cyberware |
| Player freedom | Forced physical activities to max out | Build freedom without mandatory grind |
Why This Still Matters in 2026
It is 2026, and Cyberpunk 2077 is a different game. Phantom Liberty has been out for years, and the 2.0 update has become the definitive version. New players might not even know about the old Athletics grind. They might not remember the days of climbing the same building over and over just to reach level 20. But I remember. And I am glad that CDPR listened.
Would a dedicated gym have been more exciting? Maybe. I can imagine a boxing ring in Watson or a climbing wall in Dogtown where V could train. But the streamlined approach is arguably better. It respects my time. It lets me experiment with builds without punishing me for choosing a vehicle over a sprint. It makes Night City feel like a playground again, not a treadmill.
So, if you are playing Cyberpunk 2077 in 2026 and wondering why Athletics is not a separate skill, that is the legacy of Phantom Liberty. The expansion did not just save the President of the NUSA. It saved me from another lap around the map. And for that, I am grateful. 🏃♂️💥