Key Takeaways
Crimestopper is a Phantom Liberty Iconic Smart pistol whose value comes from combining guided fire with quickhack-related effects. The supplied melee classification is incorrect: it should be handled and compared as a firearm.
Smart-pistol identity
Crimestopper is an Iconic Smart pistol from Dogtown content in Phantom Liberty, not a blade, blunt weapon, or other melee weapon. Its comparisons therefore belong with Smart pistols and other Iconic sidearms.
Quickhack-based effect
Its defining mechanic links gunfire to quickhacks: under the weapon’s stated conditions, hits can upload a random quickhack to the target. This makes its special effect more relevant to a netrunner-oriented loadout than to a purely weapon-focused setup.
Cyberware requirement
Crimestopper’s Smart targeting is most useful with compatible Smart Link cyberware. Without the relevant targeting support, it does not provide the same guided-fire experience described by the Smart weapon system.
Phantom Liberty availability
The weapon is tied to Phantom Liberty’s Dogtown content, so access to the expansion is a core availability condition. Its exact acquisition route and any missed-item recovery option should be checked separately rather than inferred from its Iconic status.
Build limitation and strength
Crimestopper is strongest when its Smart targeting and quickhack interaction are both useful; it is a less natural choice for a build that does not use Smart weapons or quickhacks. Its attraction is utility and status interaction rather than an unconditional claim of superior damage.
Iconic progression
As an Iconic weapon in the post-2.0 system, Crimestopper’s tier progression and unique effect should be discussed separately from its base presentation. Tier-dependent firearm values must not be treated as universal across its upgrade states.
Overview
Crimestopper is an Iconic Smart Pistol in , introduced with . It is aimed at players who combine with , giving the weapon a role beyond ordinary pistol damage by rewarding attacks against hacked targets.
Crimestopper belongs to the Phantom Liberty-era Iconic weapon pool and is associated with Dogtown content rather than the base game's standard early-game arsenal. Its identity is defined by the interaction between Smart Weapon targeting and a Quickhack-oriented unique effect, so it is more specialized than a conventional pistol that simply benefits from general handgun perks. The weapon is therefore relevant both as a collectible Iconic and as a tool for a cyberdeck-focused character.
In combat, Crimestopper is most naturally used after a target has been affected by a Quickhack. That sequencing gives the weapon a distinct role in a hybrid firearms-and-netrunning setup: the cyberdeck establishes the target's vulnerability or disruption, while the pistol supplies follow-up fire through its Smart Weapon behaviour. The result is a weapon whose value depends on maintaining the interaction between hacking and shooting, rather than treating the pistol as an isolated sidearm.
This separates Crimestopper from ordinary Smart Pistols and from Iconic handguns built around a purely ballistic gimmick. A conventional Smart Pistol can fit a broad weapon build with little setup, whereas Crimestopper asks the player to make Quickhacks part of the weapon's normal operating pattern. It is consequently a more conditional choice for a character who rarely hacks, but a more thematically and mechanically coherent option for a build already investing in Intelligence, Smart Weapon support, or cyberdeck combat.
Crimestopper should be understood as a Phantom Liberty weapon with a specialized progression role, not as a universal replacement for every pistol. Its appeal is strongest when the character can reliably create hacked targets and then capitalize on the Iconic effect while using Smart Weapon perks and compatible cyberware. Exact combat values remain tier-dependent in the post-2.0 system, so its practical comparison with other pistols belongs alongside the weapon's stated tier and upgrade state rather than as a single context-free ranking.
Statistics
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Pistol |
| Subtype | Pistol |
| Technology | Smart |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Stat Scaling | Tier-dependent |
| Iconic | Yes |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Content Scope | Phantom Liberty |
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar pistols
| Attribute |  Crimestopper | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Pistol | Pistol | Pistol | Pistol | Pistol |
| Technology | Smart | Smart | Power | Power | Power |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Iconic | Yes | Yes | — | — | — |
How to Obtain
- Phantom Liberty is required because the acquisition takes place in Dogtown.
- Access to Dogtown and the Mr. Hands gig “Heaviest of Hearts” is required.
- The weapon is tied to a fixed chest in the gig area; no separate currency, level, NG+ or special build requirement is needed.
- 01Install Phantom Liberty and begin the Dogtown gig “Heaviest of Hearts,” obtained through Mr. Hands. Enter the Heavy Hearts club and follow the gig route until you reach the club’s restricted interior; the weapon is found as loot in a chest there rather than being purchased from a standard vendor.
- 02Search the restricted club area carefully before leaving Heavy Hearts and loot the relevant chest to obtain Crimestopper. The chest is the fixed acquisition point for this Iconic weapon, so it is not a random enemy drop or a reward selected from a broader loot table.
Availability
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty — single-player campaign
Crimestopper is associated with Dogtown content and is not part of the base-game weapon pool. Its availability is tied to Phantom Liberty progression rather than a character-stat or proficiency requirement.
- Requires
- Phantom Liberty
Cyberpunk 2077 base game without Phantom Liberty
Crimestopper cannot be obtained in the base game without the Phantom Liberty expansion.
- Requires
- Phantom Liberty
Mechanics and Handling
Crimestopper is not a melee weapon. It is an Iconic Smart pistol from the Phantom Liberty-era weapon roster, so melee-specific behaviour such as light-attack chains, charged swings, blocking, parrying, stamina commitment and weapon reach does not describe it. Its handling is instead governed by Smart weapon targeting and by its interaction with quickhacks. Any page section that classifies Crimestopper as melee should be corrected before publication.
Smart targeting and firing behaviour
Crimestopper fires as a Smart pistol rather than as a conventional sidearm. With the relevant Smart weapon support active, its projectiles can track designated targets, making target acquisition and movement during a firefight more important than manual sight alignment alone. The weapon should therefore be evaluated alongside Smart Weapons and the cyberware or perk investment that enables them, not against blades or other close-range weapons. Its practical limitation is that Smart targeting does not remove the need to mark or maintain a valid target, and it does not turn the pistol into an area-of-effect weapon.
Quickhack-based Iconic effect
Crimestopper’s defining mechanic is its chance to upload a random quickhack when it hits an enemy. This gives ordinary pistol fire a secondary cybercombat role: a successful upload can begin or extend pressure on the target without requiring every effect to be initiated manually through the cyberdeck interface. Because the uploaded quickhack is random, the result is less controllable than selecting a specific quickhack, and the weapon is better suited to a build that can benefit from varied quickhack effects than to a tightly scripted sequence that depends on one guaranteed status or debuff.
Combat implications
The pistol is most coherent in a Smart Weapons or hybrid netrunner setup. Keep firing opportunities available against targets that can be tracked, then use the resulting quickhack activity to create openings for follow-up gunfire or other cybercombat actions. Crimestopper’s value is therefore conditional on both target access and the player’s ability to exploit quickhacks; it is not a universal replacement for a higher-control Smart pistol or for a weapon chosen solely for direct firearm output. The exact benefit of any individual upload should be treated as situational rather than assumed to be a fixed damage multiplier.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Combines Smart-weapon targeting with quickhack support, letting a cyberdeck-focused character add weapon pressure while still building around hacking rather than choosing between the two damage channels.
- Its signature effect can upload a random quickhack when its target already has a quickhack queued, giving ordinary pistol fire an additional chance to create a hacking effect.
- The effect rewards sustained attention on a prepared target: once the required quickhack setup is in place, continued shots can produce value without requiring a separate weapon swap.
- Smart targeting is useful against mobile targets and during hectic close- to mid-range encounters, provided the character has the cyberware and targeting conditions required by Smart weapons.
Weaknesses
- The defining effect is conditional rather than universal. Without a cyberdeck, a queued quickhack, and the relevant Smart-weapon setup, Crimestopper loses much of what distinguishes it from other pistols.
- The uploaded quickhack is random, so it offers less control than manually selecting a quickhack for a specific resistance, status effect, or enemy vulnerability.
- Its utility depends on maintaining the target and completing the weapon's firing setup; it is a weaker fit for characters who prefer immediate burst damage, stealth headshots, or weapons with no hacking dependency.
- Smart-weapon requirements and the opportunity cost of using cyberware and perk support can make it less attractive for a conventional handgun build that does not invest in quickhacks.
Best uses
- Use it in a hybrid Smart Weapons and quickhacking loadout: queue a quickhack first, then use Crimestopper to maintain firearm pressure while its special effect can add another upload.
- Use it against mobile groups or targets that are difficult to track manually, where Smart targeting reduces the aiming burden and the random quickhack effect adds supplementary disruption.
- Choose it for encounters where sustained pressure and flexible hacking utility matter more than selecting one precisely controlled quickhack or delivering the fastest possible opening shot.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Attribute | Crimestopper |  Skippy |  Genjiroh |  Her Majesty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class and technology | Smart-pistol option associated with quickhack-oriented play; its Iconic effect gives it a role beyond ordinary homing shots. | Quest-linked Smart Pistol with a distinctive AI-driven firing mode and targeting behaviour. | Multi-target Smart Pistol designed to distribute fire across several enemies and apply its electrical effect. | Silenced Phantom Liberty Iconic built around stealth use and accurate opening attacks. |
| Distinctive role | Netrunner and hybrid Smart Weapon builds that want weapon use to complement hacking. | Players who want a self-contained, unusual Smart Weapon with minimal build commitment. | Aggressive Smart Weapon builds facing groups rather than single targets. | Stealth, Cool and Smart Weapon builds prioritising controlled kills and remaining undetected. |
| Build fit | Less specialized for stealth headshots or raw multi-target output than some alternatives; its value depends on using its special effect effectively. | Its personality and mode structure make it less directly comparable to a purpose-built stealth or quickhack-support pistol. | Its crowd-focused behaviour is less tailored to Crimestopper's quickhack-oriented role. | It is a stronger fit for deliberate stealth play, while Crimestopper is the more natural choice when hacking interaction matters. |
| Main trade-off | — | — | — | — |
Used In
- Heaviest of HeartsCrimestopper can be obtained during this Phantom Liberty mission at Heavy Hearts.
- Heavy HeartsThe Dogtown club where Crimestopper is found during Heaviest of Hearts.
