Practice Makes Perfect

Key takeaways

Keep these points in mind before starting the tutorial exercises.

• Try every approach The mission is built to demonstrate several play styles rather than test a finished character build. Use the exercises to learn which controls and tactics feel natural before investing heavily in perks or equipment.
• Read the prompts The training sections introduce mechanics that are easy to overlook during a live firefight, including scanning, stealth movement and quickhack use. The prompt text is often more useful than simply following the objective marker.
• Do not treat the tutorial as a build test V’s early equipment and abilities are limited, and the exercises are not a reliable measure of later combat power. A difficult input or unfamiliar system usually reflects the learning curve rather than a permanent weakness.
• The mission is effectively non-branching Practice Makes Perfect teaches systems and advances the opening sequence. It does not present a major moral choice or a meaningful alternate ending.

Practice Makes Perfect overview

Practice Makes Perfect is the foundational tutorial mission in Cyberpunk 2077. It introduces the basic combat, stealth, hacking and movement habits that V will use throughout Night City.

Practice Makes Perfect takes place near the beginning of V’s story and is designed to teach the game’s central systems without requiring the player to commit to a particular build. The mission presents several short training exercises, allowing the player to try direct gunplay, close-quarters combat, stealth and cybernetic hacking before the campaign becomes more demanding. The exact presentation can vary slightly depending on how the opening sequence is progressing, but the purpose remains the same: establish the controls and give the player a safe place to learn them.

The mission is especially useful for new players because Cyberpunk 2077 combines several different approaches in the same encounter. Enemies can be confronted openly, avoided through stealth or disrupted with quickhacks, while weapons and cyberware provide different ways to control a fight. Practice Makes Perfect does not ask the player to choose a permanent specialization, so experimentation is encouraged. If a particular exercise feels unfamiliar, it is generally better to pause and read the on-screen prompts than to rush through the sequence.

There is no major branching decision or permanent story outcome attached to this tutorial. Its importance is practical rather than narrative: completing it gives V a working understanding of the systems that later missions assume the player knows. The mission also establishes the instructional role of characters such as Jackie Welles and T-Bug, who help frame the transition from the opening setup into the wider story of Cyberpunk 2077.

Where this sits

Requirements

Practice Makes Perfect is an opening mission and does not require a developed character or a specific build.

• RequiredReach the opening tutorial sequenceThe mission becomes available as part of the beginning of V’s story rather than through a late-game quest giver.
• RequiredUse the basic controlsYou need to be able to move, aim, interact, scan and follow on-screen tutorial instructions. No advanced cyberware setup is required.
• RecommendedA flexible approachThe mission demonstrates multiple systems, so avoid assuming that every exercise should be solved with open combat.

Objectives

1. Complete the combat tutorialLearn the basic actions used to engage enemies directly, including aiming, attacking and responding to threats.
2. Complete the advanced combat exercisesPractice additional combat interactions and become familiar with the flow of a fight rather than relying on a single weapon.
3. Complete the stealth tutorialLearn how to reduce visibility, move carefully and approach enemies without immediately starting an open battle.
4. Complete the hacking tutorialUse the scanner and quickhack-related prompts to understand how netrunning tools can interfere with enemies and devices.

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Begin Practice Makes Perfect

   Follow the opening instructions

   Continue through the opening section until the game directs V toward the tutorial activities. Move at a measured pace and interact with highlighted objects when prompted, because some lessons are introduced through contextual actions rather than a conventional combat arena.

   Location: Opening sequence

   TipThe tutorial prompts are temporary and are meant to be followed in order; do not worry about exploring the wider city yet.

   Checkpoint
2. 02

   Complete the Combat Basics tutorial

   Start the combat basics lesson

   Enter the first combat exercise and follow the instructions for handling a weapon and engaging a target. Keep the reticle under control, use cover or movement when the lesson demonstrates it, and wait for the exercise to register each required action before moving on.

   Location: Combat training area

   TipIf an input does not register, repeat the action deliberately instead of chaining several attacks together.

3. 03

   Complete the advanced combat tutorial

   Work through the advanced combat lesson

   Continue into the next combat demonstration and practice the additional actions shown by the tutorial. The purpose is to make combat transitions feel familiar, so observe enemy behavior and use the instructed response rather than trying to finish as quickly as possible.

   Location: Combat training area

   Watch outThe training sequence can pause until the requested action is performed; check the objective text if the next encounter does not begin.

   Checkpoint
4. 04

   Complete the Stealth tutorial

   Approach the stealth exercise carefully

   Move into the stealth section and follow the instructions for staying out of sight. Avoid sprinting directly through the training space, watch the awareness feedback and use the intended route so the lesson can demonstrate how detection changes an encounter.

   Location: Stealth training area

   TipStealth is not only about avoiding every enemy; learning when an enemy can see V is the important part of this exercise.

5. 05

   Finish the stealth exercises

   Practice silent positioning

   Use the stealth lesson to approach or bypass the marked targets as instructed. Take time to understand the difference between moving unseen and being fully detected, since later missions may allow a recovery from partial detection but can become harder after an alarm.

   Location: Stealth training area

   Watch outIf the exercise requires remaining undetected, an alert can force you to repeat the section or change the intended lesson.

6. 06

   Start the Hacking tutorial

   Open the scanner for the hacking lesson

   Begin the hacking portion by scanning the highlighted person, device or object when the prompt appears. Follow the targeting instructions carefully, because the scanner is the gateway to identifying hackable elements in later missions.

   Location: Hacking training area

   TipScanning is useful outside missions as well; make a habit of checking the environment before committing to a route.

7. 07

   Complete the hacking demonstration

   Use the instructed quickhack

   Select the available tutorial quickhack and apply it to the marked target or device. The exercise is teaching the relationship between scanning, selecting a target and executing an effect, so wait for the confirmation before leaving the area.

   Location: Hacking training area

   Watch outDo not assume that every hackable target should be attacked immediately in a real mission; some quickhacks are better used for distraction or control.

8. 08

   Complete Practice Makes Perfect

   Finish the tutorial sequence

   Complete the remaining on-screen instruction and wait for Practice Makes Perfect to update or conclude. Once the tutorial objectives are cleared, continue with the next available story mission rather than searching for a hidden alternate outcome.

   Location: Opening sequence

   Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

Practice Makes Perfect is structured as a sequence of controlled lessons rather than one continuous combat encounter. Combat instruction covers the fundamentals of aiming and attacking, while the additional combat exercises broaden the player’s understanding of how to respond when enemies are actively pressuring V. The mission is a good place to adjust sensitivity and confirm the preferred control layout.

The stealth lesson teaches that visibility is a resource. V can move through an area without immediately turning every situation into a firefight, but detection changes the conditions and may remove the safest route. Use the tutorial feedback to learn how quickly enemies notice movement and how much time is available to reposition before an alert becomes unavoidable.

The hacking lesson introduces the scanner as an information tool as well as a combat interface. Scanning can reveal relevant targets and lets V select an available quickhack. In the full game, this supports a more deliberate style in which the player examines a room, identifies useful devices or enemies and then decides whether to distract, disable or attack.

Because these systems are presented before V has a mature loadout, the mission should be treated as a controls tutorial rather than an equipment check. The best result is not the fastest completion; it is leaving the mission knowing how to switch between direct combat, stealth and cybernetic interference when a later objective permits multiple approaches.

What works and what does not

Checklist

• Complete the combat basics lessonFollow each input prompt until the exercise advances.
• Complete the advanced combat lessonPractice the additional combat actions instead of immediately pushing ahead.
• Complete the stealth lessonPay attention to the detection feedback and the intended route.
• Complete the hacking lessonScan the marked target and execute the instructed quickhack.
• Confirm the mission has advancedWait for the objective update before leaving the tutorial area.
• Adjust controls if necessaryOptional: this is a convenient safe point to change sensitivity or control settings.Optional

Failure conditions

• Fail a combat exerciseA failed combat lesson generally returns the player to the relevant training section or requires the demonstrated action to be repeated.
• Trigger detection during a stealth exerciseIf the current lesson requires V to remain hidden, detection can interrupt the intended exercise and may require a retry.
• Leave before completing the promptMoving away before the tutorial registers its required interaction can prevent the next objective from appearing. Recheck the active objective and return to the highlighted area.

Rewards

• Tutorial completion
  Completing the mission advances the opening story sequence and enables the next stage of V’s early campaign.
• System familiarity
  The practical reward is knowledge of the combat, stealth, scanner and hacking systems used throughout Cyberpunk 2077.

Characters in this mission

• VThe player character who performs the tutorial exercises.
• Jackie WellesV’s close partner in the opening sequence and a guide to the early story.
• T-BugA netrunner associated with the hacking instruction.

Aftermath

Trivia

• The mission’s title emphasizes repetition and familiarity rather than character progression or a story choice.
• The tutorial presents several play styles before the player has to make meaningful long-term build decisions.
• The scanner is introduced as a core part of exploration and combat, not merely as a tool for one mission.
• The mission is designed to be completed during the opening portion of the game and is not a late-game challenge.

Relationships