It's 2026, and I'm still completely hooked on Night City. Even after all the official updates from CD Projekt Red, the modding community is what keeps this world feeling fresh and endlessly customizable for me. As someone who's spent countless hours exploring every corner of this dystopian metropolis, I've found that the right mods don't just fix things—they transform the experience. For new players diving in now, or veterans looking for a fresh take, here are the essential mods I always recommend starting with. They're straightforward, impactful, and they make Night City feel more like my city.
🛠️ The Essential Foundation: Mod Settings
Let's be real—downloading mods is exciting, but managing them can quickly become a nightmare. I learned this the hard way after installing a dozen mods and then spending an hour trying to remember which one changed what. That's where Mod Settings comes in. This isn't a flashy mod, but it's the most important one in my load order.
It adds a clean, organized tab right into the game's main menu under 'Settings' where you can configure all your other mods. No more digging through confusing text files or trying to remember hotkeys! It brings order to the chaos. For a beginner, this is a lifesaver. It lets you focus on enjoying the cool new weapons or gameplay tweaks instead of wrestling with configuration files. Trust me, start here.
🛒 Breathing Life into the Streets: Street Vendors
One of my first thoughts when I originally played was, "Why can't I buy anything from these street vendors?" They're everywhere, selling food and random junk, but you couldn't interact with them meaningfully. The Street Vendors mod fixes this brilliantly.
It makes every street vendor act like a proper merchant. You can browse their inventory, sell your spare gear, and buy useful items. It sounds simple, but it fundamentally changes the economy and flow of the game. Running low on Eddies for that new cybernetic arm? Now you can offload some junk weapons to a vendor in Kabuki instead of fast-traveling across the city. It makes Night City feel more alive and interconnected.
👤 Your Body, Your Rules: Appearance Change Unlocker
CD Projekt Red has added a lot of customization options over the years, which I love. But having to hunt down a Ripperdoc every time I want to change my hairstyle or tattoos? That got old fast. The Appearance Change Unlocker mod is the ultimate convenience.
It lets you change your character's appearance—hair, eyes, makeup, scars, cyberware, you name it—from anywhere. I use it all the time from the comfort of V's apartment. Want a new look after a major story mission? Done in seconds. It removes a pointless barrier and puts you in full control of your character's aesthetic journey through the story.
🎥 Seeing is Believing: Immersive First Person
Cyberpunk 2077 is designed as a first-person experience, and I think that's the right call for immersion. However, the vanilla first-person view can feel... restrictive. Your body is mostly invisible, and the camera can feel stiff. The Immersive First Person mod changes everything.
It makes V's body fully visible. You can look down and see your chest, your legs, your outfit. It sounds minor, but it's transformative. During combat, you get a much better sense of how your perks and movements work. The camera also becomes more fluid, allowing you to look around with a natural feel. Driving feels better, walking through crowds feels more real, and you can finally appreciate the awesome jackets you spend so many Eddies on!
🚗 Master of the Road: Cyber Vehicle Overhaul
Night City's cars are iconic, but let's be honest, not all of them handle like a dream. Some of the cheaper cars feel like driving a brick. The Cyber Vehicle Overhaul mod is for players who care about their ride.
It reworks the handling, speed, braking, and gear-shifting for every vehicle in the game. The supercars like the Rayfield Caliburn become even more responsive beasts, while the common sedans you steal off the street become actually enjoyable to drive. It gives you a reason to try out every car you find, not just the ones you buy. Cruising through the Badlands or weaving through Japantown traffic becomes a genuine pleasure.
🌆 The Finishing Touch: HD Reworked Project
The core game looks stunning, especially in 2026 with modern hardware. But if you look closely, some textures—like distant foliage, certain street signs, or wall graffiti—can look a bit blurry or low-res. The Cyberpunk 2077 HD Reworked Project is a visual enhancement mod that polishes these details.
The mod author upscales and improves thousands of environmental textures to make them sharper and more defined. The best part? It's designed to have a minimal impact on performance. If you do notice a hit, I'd recommend adjusting other settings like Ray Tracing before disabling this mod. It's the kind of mod you might not notice immediately, but once you've used it, going back makes the world feel slightly less crisp. It's the ultimate polish for visual purists.
To summarize, here’s a quick table of why I install these mods every single time:
| Mod Name | Core Benefit | Why I Love It |
|---|---|---|
| Mod Settings | Centralized Configuration | No more mod management chaos. |
| Street Vendors | Functional Economy | Makes the city feel alive and tradable. |
| Appearance Change Unlocker | Ultimate Convenience | Change my look anytime, anywhere. |
| Immersive First Person | Deepened Perspective | Makes me feel like I'm really V. |
| Cyber Vehicle Overhaul | Enhanced Driving | Every car is now fun to drive. |
| HD Reworked Project | Visual Polish | Sharpens the beautiful world. |
Starting your modded journey in Night City with these six tools will give you a smoother, more immersive, and personalized experience. They enhance the game without overwhelming you with complexity or breaking the intended feel. They fix small annoyances and open up new possibilities, letting you engage with the world on your own terms. So go ahead, install these, hit the streets, and make Night City your own. You won't look back. See you in the afterlife, choomba. 🚀