How to Use the Chimera Core in Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty arguably has some of the most intense, action-packed missions of the entire game with a personal highlight being V’s battle against a gigantic Chimera, a spider-like robot that’s armed to the teeth with a variety of weapons that could give a small army a run for its money. Fortunately, this is a video game and with the help of the President of the United States (obviously), the quest “Spider and the Fly” concludes with the hulking robot in a heap on the floor, having crushed a few too many structures and, presumably, killing a handful of innocent civilians. The fun doesn’t end there though as Phantom Liberty pushes its narrative on swiftly after your victory, providing one of the game’s easier optional objectives that feels a little risky: Take the Chimera’s core. It seems like a recipe for disaster, giving all that power to V. Despite this, while you have the choice to take or leave it, how do you actually use the Chimera core in Cyberpunk 2077?

Related: All Romance Options in the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty DLC

That’s a great question and one you might even forget you asked since you obtain the item with very little fanfare as you’re pushed forward to the next main objective. Despite the presumably weighty consequences of taking the core for yourself, actually possessing it won’t have a major impact on Phantom Liberty‘s story. Having said that, it’s still a great item for V to keep in their possession given that it can be used to create some devastating weapon mods.

What to Do With the Chimera Core in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

As mentioned above, the Chimera core is a vital component when it comes to crafting some of Phantom Liberty‘s best weapon mods. Makes sense, given that it’s the brain of a gigantic military spider-tank. Strap that to your sub-machine gun and something cool is bound to happen. So now that the core is in your possession you’ll want to head to the crafting menu of V’s inventory and select the mods sub-menu. Bear in mind that you won’t happen upon another Chimera core in Phantom Liberty and you can only use it to craft a single mod, so you should do some careful thinking before you commit to your decision. The options include:

• Severance: A mod for melee weapons, equipping this deadly tool grants V a 20% chance to dismember an enemy that’s below half health with every hit. If you do manage to lop off a limb, it should instantly kill your foe. Not bad for taking your katana and making it an even more fearsome blade.
• Wallpuncher: No, this mod isn’t named after your friend Kyle who swears his kidneys are fine despite drinking liters of Monster Energy a day. Equipping this to a Tech Weapon allows it to charge to 200% in the same amount of time it’d usually take to get to 100%. It also improves its combat effectiveness by increasing its armor penetration by 100%, meaning whichever firearm takes this mod will shred through enemy armor like my cat through a bag of salami-flavored treats.
• Hackatomy: Equipping this mod to a Smart Weapon grants it a 5% chance to add a quickhack to its shots. From what I can tell, the actual quickhack that’s applied is random but also depends on the body part that’s shot.
• Firecracker: The most straightforward out of all your options, equip this to a Power Weapon to give it explosive ammo. Sometimes the simplest upgrades are the most fun.

Of course, if none of those sound particularly engaging for you or you’re just struggling to choose and need some time to sleep on it, you can always mount it in V’s apartment as a decoration. Nothing says, “This choom is the real deal” than a Chimera core display piece on the coffee table. You can always pick it up later and craft your mod once you’ve settled on your decision, there’s no need to rush. Phantom Liberty has plenty to do in the meantime, so maybe kill some hours by hunting down a serial killer or hanging out with Idris Elba if the grandeur of your new paperweight is just too much to take. Not like a Chimera core without a body can do any real damage… right?

If you’re looking for more on the game, check out how to complete “The Man Who Killed Jason Foreman” gig in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.