Cyberpunk 2077 has five distinct skills: body, reflexes, technical ability, intelligence, and cool. All of these attributes also have specific perks locked within them - a body perk might prevent enemies from knocking you down, while a cool perk could ensure that you cannot be detected underwater.
Interestingly, there's a sixth node on the Cyberpunk 2077 character customization screen - and it's totally empty. Check out the screenshot at the top of this article and look at the section right at the bottom, between intelligence and cool - there's no skill there.
At the moment, people have pretty much no idea as to what this sixth skill could be. Its inclusion makes the top and bottom series of hexagons symmetrical with one another, but surely it isn't just there for the sake of aesthetic consistency. Cyberpunk 2077 could see the introduction of another skill at some point - we're here to discuss what said skill might actually be.
Cyberpunk 2077 - What The Sixth Attribute Could Be For: Cut Content
First of all, it's important to acknowledge the obvious caveat that this sixth skill could be something that was cut from the game. Perhaps CD Projekt Red intended for V to have access to six different attributes, but the last one was cut due to time constraints or development issues. Maybe it just wasn't as fleshed out as the other five, and was better off being removed from the game completely.
While this is possible, you'd think the UI would have been changed at the point of cutting the skill out of the game. As a result, this is probably the least likely scenario for why the sixth node is empty.
Cyberpunk 2077 - What The Sixth Attribute Could Be For: DLC
We've already covered the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 will purportedly get free DLC in early 2021, as well as the likely scenario that one of the game's expansions will be set in space. A trip out of the stratosphere would open the game up to some pretty wild possibilities, meaning that it's reasonable to assume that an entire new attribute could be added as part of a future expansion.
Also, the Crystal Palace - a fancy space casino, not a mediocre English football team - has a no weapons allowed policy. Maybe this new attribute could be tied to perks you can use for subterfuge - speech checks, additional stealth mechanics, or something else in that vein. Let's remember that The Witcher 3 added 12 new skills in Blood and Wine as part of the Mutations system, so seeing a whole new attribute as part of a future Cyberpunk 2077 update wouldn't come completely out of left field.
Cyberpunk 2077 - What The Sixth Attribute Could Be For: Johnny Silverhand
There's another part of the Cyberpunk 2077 UI that is worth discussing here. At the top of the main menu screen, there are three percentages, which represent your street cred, your relationship with Johnny Silverhand, and the extent to which the relic has already corrupted you.
I won't go too deep into this, as I know a lot of people probably haven't finished Cyberpunk 2077 and don't want to read spoilers. What I will say is that Johnny Silverhand is a very important character who has a massive impact on the entire game, and he consistently appears throughout the whole story. The idea of tying a sixth skill node to him isn't the least bit unreasonable, especially when you consider that his percentage stays pretty low until the final act of the game, at which point it begins to absolutely skyrocket (or not, depending on your decisions - check out our Cyberpunk 2077 best endings guide if you want to ensure that you make the right one).
There's also the possibility that CD Projekt Red is reserving the sixth node as a storytelling device. In a game like Cyberpunk 2077, where a lot of the UI is contextually intertwined with the game itself, an empty skill node could easily pave the way for a specific narrative in which it is - or isn't - filled later on.
Regardless of what the sixth node represents, it's likely that it's pointing at something. I personally think the DLC option is the most reasonable one, especially given that Blood and Wine introduced 12 new skills to The Witcher 3. For now, though, all we can do is speculate.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available for PC on GOG.COM, Steam and Epic, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Stadia from December 10, 2020. When you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on GOG.COM, 100% of your money goes to CD PROJEKT Group and supports their future projects.
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