Key Takeaways
Borzaya is a Phantom Liberty-era Iconic sniper rifle whose practical value depends on its weapon technology, tier, and unique modifier rather than on a single universal damage figure. The current item state should be checked before comparing it with other sniper rifles.
Iconic sniper-rifle variant
Borzaya is an Iconic firearm associated with . Its page should distinguish the weapon’s base class and technology from the special effect that separates Borzaya from ordinary sniper rifles.
Tier context matters
Cyberpunk 2077’s post-2.0 weapon values vary by tier and upgrade state. Any damage, attack-speed, magazine, or handling value for Borzaya must therefore identify the relevant tier or state rather than being presented as universal.
The modifier is the main decision point
Borzaya should be assessed through its Iconic modifier and sniper-rifle handling, not by damage alone. The mechanic’s trigger, limits, and interaction with the weapon’s technology determine which encounters and builds it supports.
Phantom Liberty scope applies
Borzaya belongs to the Phantom Liberty-era weapon pool, so acquisition and availability must be checked against the expansion’s content and the current post-2.0 rules. A base-game-only weapon list is not a sufficient acquisition reference.
It trades flexibility for precision
As a sniper rifle, Borzaya is most relevant to deliberate long-range engagements and precision-focused loadouts. Its slower, more specialized handling makes close-range automatic weapons a practical alternative when rapid follow-up fire matters.
Compare it with role-matched rifles
The fairest comparison is with other sniper or precision rifles, especially weapons using the same technology or occupying a similar Iconic role. Comparisons should preserve each weapon’s tier, technology, and unique effect instead of treating their displayed damage as directly universal.
Overview
Borzaya is an Iconic Power shotgun in Cyberpunk 2077, associated with the Phantom Liberty-era weapon pool and the X-MOD2 equipment system. Its identity is defined less by a headline damage value than by the way a close-range Power weapon can be customized around its unique modifier and available weapon mods.
Borzaya occupies the close-range shotgun role: it is intended for engagements where a spread of pellets and Power-weapon behaviour matter more than sustained precision fire. That makes it a different proposition from a Tech shotgun built around charging and penetration, or a Smart shotgun whose value depends on guided targeting. The distinction is practical rather than merely cosmetic; the weapon technology determines which handling expectations and perk interactions are relevant.
As an Iconic weapon, Borzaya is not simply a higher-tier copy of an ordinary shotgun. Its defining modifier is part of the weapon’s identity, while its X-MOD2 treatment makes modification a meaningful part of evaluating the gun. The resulting choice is between preserving the weapon’s characteristic behaviour and using its mod capacity to address a preferred combat situation, such as close-range control, reliability or a particular shotgun-focused setup.
Borzaya belongs to the post-2.0 weapon framework, so its ordinary combat values are tier-dependent and should be read together with the weapon’s current tier or upgrade state. A tierless damage figure would not describe the weapon consistently across progression. For the same reason, this overview does not treat a single displayed value as a universal measure of Borzaya’s performance or compare it numerically with weapons from other games or older Cyberpunk 2077 systems.
Its place in progression is therefore best understood as a specialized Iconic option for players using a Power-shotgun or broader close-range build, rather than as a replacement for every other shotgun. Players choosing between Borzaya and another Iconic should compare the weapon’s unique effect, technology class, mod configuration and the build’s perk support. The Phantom Liberty context is important: availability and any recovery route belong to that expansion’s weapon ecosystem, while exact acquisition details should be handled separately from this overview.
Statistics
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Sniper Rifle |
| Subtype | Sniper Rifle |
| Technology | Power |
| Ammo | Sniper Ammo |
| Stat Scaling | Tier-dependent |
| Iconic | Yes |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Content Scope | Phantom Liberty |
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar sniper rifles
| Attribute |  Borzaya | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle |
| Technology | Power | Power | Tech | Smart | Power |
| Ammo | Sniper Ammo | Sniper Ammo | Sniper Ammo | Sniper Ammo | Sniper Ammo |
| Iconic | Yes | — | — | — | Yes |
How to Obtain
- Phantom Liberty access and entry to Dogtown.
- Airdrop rewards are not fixed to one named location, and the exact weapon obtained from an individual drop is not guaranteed.
- Sufficient currency is required for Herold’s vendor route; the price is context-dependent and is not specified here.
- No separate NG+ or one-per-playthrough requirement is established for Borzaya.
- 01Travel to Dogtown while Phantom Liberty is installed and watch for a recurring airdrop marked by red smoke and a supply container. Loot the airdrop and check its weapon reward; Borzaya is part of the Dogtown airdrop weapon pool, so an individual drop is not guaranteed to contain it.
- 02If Borzaya does not appear in the airdrop loot, visit Herold, the Black Market Vendor in Dogtown’s EBM Petrochem Stadium. Check his Iconic weapon inventory and buy Borzaya when it is listed; this is the practical recovery route for missed Phantom Liberty Iconics rather than a separate mission reward.
Availability
Cyberpunk 2077 base game without Phantom Liberty
Borzaya is associated with the Phantom Liberty-era Dogtown weapon pool rather than the base-game weapon pool.
- Requires
- Phantom Liberty content is required.
Phantom Liberty — Dogtown, post-2.0 weapon system
Any tier-dependent stats or vendor/world-loot conditions should be read in the current post-2.0 context; no universal price is listed here.
- Requires
- Own Phantom Liberty and reach access to Dogtown.
Mechanics and Handling
Smart targeting changes the firing rhythm
Borzaya is a Smart firearm, so its handling is built around target acquisition rather than purely manual shot placement. The Smart targeting system can track an eligible enemy and guide fired rounds toward the lock-on target, making the weapon more forgiving when the target is moving or when a perfectly aligned sight picture is difficult to maintain. This assistance does not remove the need to acquire a target: the weapon still depends on a valid lock and appropriate Smart-weapon support, and firing without those conditions gives up much of its defining advantage.
The result is a deliberate precision weapon rather than a firearm that should be treated like an automatic rifle. Allow the targeting system to settle before committing to a shot, especially when several enemies overlap or when the intended target is partly obscured. Switching targets too quickly can interrupt the useful part of the firing cycle, while controlled target selection lets Borzaya stay focused on dangerous enemies at the edge of an encounter. Its Smart behaviour is most valuable when distance, movement, or cover makes ordinary manual aim less consistent.
Range and target selection
Borzaya's Smart guidance makes moving targets a more practical priority than they would be for a conventional precision weapon, but it does not make every engagement equally suitable. Clear lines of fire remain important: cover, environmental obstruction, and enemies outside the targeting system's effective conditions can prevent the weapon from behaving as intended. Use the weapon from a position with a readable view of the target instead of relying on guidance to compensate for blocked or rapidly changing sight lines.
At close range, the weapon's precision-oriented handling can be less efficient than a shotgun, submachine gun, or other firearm designed for rapid follow-up fire. Borzaya is better suited to isolating a priority target before the fight collapses into a crowded close-quarters exchange. It rewards choosing the right target and preserving a stable firing position more than simply holding the trigger through a group of enemies.
Smart Link and perk interaction
Borzaya's guidance should be considered together with the cyberware and the character's Smart-weapon support. The cyberware is not a cosmetic pairing: it supplies the interface that allows Smart firearms to use their intended targeting behaviour. Perks that improve can therefore affect how comfortable Borzaya feels in practice, while a character built around another firearm technology may receive less benefit from carrying it even when the weapon's raw tier is appropriate.
This also separates Borzaya from Power and Tech alternatives. It does not use Power-weapon ricochet behaviour or Tech-weapon charging and wall-penetration behaviour as its defining system. Compare it with other Smart precision weapons when the goal is guided target acquisition; compare it with Power or Tech rifles only when deciding whether targeting assistance, manual precision, or charged penetration better suits the encounter.
Ammunition and sustained handling
Borzaya uses conventional firearm ammunition rather than a separate ability resource, so its distinctive limitation is the quality and timing of its shots, not a charge meter or stamina cost. The practical discipline is to avoid spending rounds on low-value targets while the weapon is still searching for a useful lock. After a shot, reassess the target and the surrounding threat before firing again instead of assuming that guidance makes every follow-up automatic.
Its Smart behaviour also should not be mistaken for homing through any obstacle or for guaranteed critical hits. Target guidance improves the relationship between aiming and projectile travel; it does not replace target visibility, weapon-system compatibility, or sensible positioning. Those constraints are what keep Borzaya's precision role distinct from a general-purpose automatic weapon.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Smart targeting helps guide shots toward locked targets, reducing the manual aim correction normally required for a precision firearm.
- Its sniper-rifle role rewards deliberate engagements against exposed targets, allowing the user to work from safer distances rather than relying on close-range weapon handling.
- The weapon is most effective when the user has time to establish a target lock and place accurate shots instead of firing continuously under pressure.
Weaknesses
- Smart targeting is conditional on the appropriate Smart Link and target-lock behaviour; without that support, Borzaya loses the system advantage that distinguishes it from conventional precision rifles.
- Its precision-focused handling is a poor fit for crowded, close-range encounters where enemies can flank the user or interrupt the time needed to acquire a target.
- The weapon is less forgiving when several enemies attack from different angles or when rapid, unrestricted fire is more valuable than controlled shots.
- Using Borzaya effectively requires accepting the opportunity cost of a Smart-weapon setup, including cyberware and perk choices that could otherwise support Power or Tech firearms.
Best uses
- Long sightlines and open engagements where the user can acquire targets before enemies close the distance.
- Smart-weapon builds that already invest in target acquisition and want a precision option for priority enemies.
- Combat situations where controlled fire and positional safety matter more than suppressing a group with sustained automatic fire.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Attribute | Borzaya |  Ashura |  Yasha |  Rasetsu |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class and technology | Specialized Smart-sniper option; compare its unique modifier and tier-specific handling rather than raw damage alone | The conventional non-Iconic Smart-sniper reference point; useful for separating Borzaya's unique behavior from Smart targeting itself | The closest Iconic Smart-sniper comparison; choose between their weapon-specific effects, availability and progression context | A technology-class alternative: charge and penetration behavior make it a different handling choice from a Smart sniper |
| Comparison focus | Players who want a long-range Smart-weapon role and prefer Borzaya's specific effect | Smart-weapon users seeking a straightforward sniper platform | Players already committed to Smart weapons who want an Iconic alternative | Players who prefer deliberate charged shots and Tech-weapon mechanics over target-lock behavior |
| Best suited to | — | — | — | — |
