Key Takeaways
MA70 HB X-MOD2 is a Phantom Liberty-era Iconic Power light machine gun whose defining feature is its expanded weapon-mod configuration rather than a separately stated damage value.
Iconic Power LMG
The weapon combines the MA70 HB platform with Cyberpunk 2077’s Power-weapon behavior and the sustained-fire role of a light machine gun. Its primary use is controlling space with automatic fire rather than making precision shots at every range.
X-MOD2 is a functional variant
X-MOD2 is not just a visual designation: the variant’s mod configuration is part of its identity and allows more meaningful customization than a standard presentation of the weapon. The exact slot and mod rules belong to the current weapon data.
Phantom Liberty availability
MA70 HB X-MOD2 is associated with Dogtown and requires the Phantom Liberty content. Its exact acquisition route, including any vendor or pickup conditions, should be checked separately from the weapon’s combat description.
Sustained-fire strength
As a light machine gun, it is most useful when the encounter rewards continuous automatic pressure, suppression and repeated target engagement. That role can be valuable against groups but does not remove the need to manage recoil, positioning and ammunition.
Not a universal upgrade
The X-MOD2 configuration gives the MA70 HB a distinct customization angle, but it does not by itself establish that the weapon is superior in every build or at every tier. Comparisons should use matching tier and current weapon-system context.
Overview
MA70 HB X-MOD2 is a -era light machine gun variant in , built for sustained Power-weapon fire and expanded customization rather than a radically different firing identity.
The MA70 HB X-MOD2 belongs to the light machine gun family and occupies the sustained-fire end of Cyberpunk 2077’s firearm roster. Its defining distinction is the X-MOD2 configuration: compared with an ordinary version of the weapon, it is intended to provide more flexible weapon-modification capacity. That makes it relevant to players who want to tune a heavy automatic weapon around handling, damage support, or other compatible mod effects without changing the weapon into a different technology class.
As a Power weapon, the MA70 HB X-MOD2 is associated with conventional projectile fire rather than Smart targeting or Tech weapon charging. Its role is therefore straightforward: keep pressure on targets through automatic fire while accepting the handling and ammunition demands that come with using a larger automatic weapon. The page should treat it as a weapon-system choice as much as a damage choice, since the practical value of the variant depends on sustained-fire habits, available ammunition, and the player’s current weapon-mod options.
The X-MOD2 designation is the important progression context. It identifies a special variant from the Phantom Liberty-era weapon pool, not a universal replacement for every MA70 HB or every other light machine gun. Its extra customization potential is the reason to compare it with the base family and with other , while its light machine gun identity still determines how it fits into combat. Players looking for burst damage, precision fire, Smart targeting, or charged penetration should evaluate different weapon families instead.
This overview remains deliberately separate from the weapon’s stat line and acquisition route. Tier-dependent damage and handling values belong in the statistics section, while the exact Dogtown or Phantom Liberty route belongs in How to Obtain. In practical terms, the MA70 HB X-MOD2 suits a build or loadout that already supports automatic Power weapons and can make meaningful use of its expanded mod configuration; it is less distinctive for a player who does not plan to invest in that weapon category or its sustained-fire role.
Statistics
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Light Machine Gun |
| Subtype | Light Machine Gun |
| Technology | Power |
| Ammo | Heavy Ammo |
| Stat Scaling | Tier-dependent |
| Iconic | Yes |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Content Scope | Phantom Liberty |
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar light machine guns
| Attribute |  MA70 HB X-MOD2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Light Machine Gun | Light Machine Gun | Light Machine Gun |
| Technology | Power | Power | Power |
| Ammo | Heavy Ammo | Heavy Ammo | Heavy Ammo |
| Iconic | Yes | — | Yes |
How to Obtain
- Phantom Liberty access and entry to Dogtown are required.
- The weapon is available as a fixed Dogtown pickup; no level, currency, NG+ mode, or specific quest prerequisite is established.
- 01In Phantom Liberty’s Dogtown, travel to the Terra Cognita area and search the fixed weapon container near the shipping containers. MA70 HB X-MOD2 is a world pickup rather than a vendor purchase, quest reward, or random enemy drop; loot the container to obtain it.
- 02The pickup remains available after Dogtown opens and does not require a particular mission, boss encounter, or character outcome. No separate crafting specification or missed-Iconic recovery route is needed.
Availability
Base game without Phantom Liberty
MA70 HB X-MOD2 is not part of the base game's weapon availability.
- Requires
- Phantom Liberty expansion required
Phantom Liberty / Dogtown
Availability is tied to Phantom Liberty content. No separate Story/Online, NG+, difficulty, or proficiency gate is established for this weapon.
- Requires
- Phantom Liberty expansion
Mechanics and Handling
The MA70 HB X-MOD2 is handled as a sustained-fire light machine gun rather than a precision automatic rifle. Its practical role is to keep pressure on targets through continuous fire, with recoil and shot spread becoming more important the longer the trigger is held. It is therefore most comfortable at close to medium distances, where its volume of fire is easier to keep on a target than at long range.
Sustained automatic fire
The weapon uses a conventional automatic firing pattern. It does not rely on a charge sequence, alternate firing mode, or melee-style special attack; its handling is defined by keeping the reticle on target while managing the weapon's automatic recoil. Shorter bursts can make target tracking easier, while longer bursts trade precision for continued damage output and suppression.
Power-weapon behaviour
As a Power weapon, the MA70 HB X-MOD2 uses the Power-weapon rules rather than Tech charging or Smart target guidance. Its bullets can interact with the environment through ricochet behaviour when the relevant cyberware support is available, but that interaction is situational: it is most useful around hard cover and angled surfaces, not as a replacement for direct aim. Without the supporting cyberware, treat it as a conventional automatic firearm.
Magazine use and X-MOD2 modification
The MA70 HB X-MOD2 fires from a magazine and requires a reload after its ammunition is expended. The reload creates a clear vulnerability during sustained engagements, so breaking line of sight or using cover before reloading is safer than waiting until the magazine is empty in the open. Its X-MOD2 designation identifies it as a modification-focused weapon variant with expanded weapon-mod capability in the post-2.0 item system. Those mods can be used to shape its handling or combat profile, but the resulting behaviour depends on the specific mods installed and should not be treated as part of the unmodified weapon.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Sustained automatic fire lets it suppress exposed enemies and keep pressure on targets without relying on single-shot timing.
- As a Power weapon, its gunfire can support ricochet-based shooting when the required cyberware and line-of-fire conditions are available.
- The X-MOD2 configuration provides meaningful room for weapon-mod customization, allowing its handling or combat role to be tuned rather than fixed.
Weaknesses
- The light-machine-gun format is less forgiving at long range than a precision rifle: recoil and spread make sustained fire harder to place accurately.
- Its automatic fire can consume ammunition quickly, making prolonged engagements more resource-intensive than controlled-fire alternatives.
- It competes with other Power weapons that offer more specialized range, stealth, or precision advantages, so its broad sustained-fire role may be excessive for small or carefully planned encounters.
Best uses
- Use it for open combat against groups where sustained fire and target suppression matter more than discreet takedowns.
- Pair it with a build that can exploit Power-weapon ricochets when fighting from cover or around suitable surfaces.
- Choose it when flexible mod investment and automatic pressure are more valuable than the precision, charge mechanics, or targeting assistance of Tech and Smart alternatives.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Attribute |  MA70 HB |  Wild Dog | Defender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class / technology | Closest base-family comparison; standard MA70 HB platform without the X-MOD2 designation | Iconic LMG alternative for sustained automatic fire; its unique modifier defines its handling and damage profile | Non-Iconic LMG alternative when a conventional Power-weapon option is preferred |
| Role and distinction | Lacks the X-MOD2 variant’s expanded iconic modification configuration | Uses its own Iconic effect rather than the MA70 HB X-MOD2 configuration | Standard attachment and modification profile; does not provide the X-MOD2 variant’s defining configuration |
| Modification profile | — | — | — |
Used In
- DogtownThe MA70 HB X-MOD2 is a Phantom Liberty-era X-MOD2 weapon associated with Dogtown; its acquisition route is tied to this district rather than a standard Night City vendor.
- Phantom LibertyThis weapon belongs to the Phantom Liberty weapon pool and uses the expansion-era X-MOD2 variant framework.
