Key Takeaways
Yinglong is an Iconic Smart Submachine Gun whose main distinction is a chance-based EMP effect layered onto automatic fire. Its value depends on both Smart Weapon handling and access to the weapon’s crafting and upgrade systems.
Iconic Smart SMG with an EMP identity
Yinglong belongs to the Smart weapon system and uses automatic fire, but its defining Iconic effect can trigger an EMP-like electrical blast. That effect gives it a disruption role in addition to its normal firearm damage.
Smart Link support matters
Yinglong can be used as a Smart weapon, but reliable target tracking and the associated Smart Weapon benefits depend on the relevant cyberware and perk support. It is therefore a less natural fit for builds that do not invest in .
Obtained through a crafting-spec encounter
Its crafting spec is tied to during the NCPD Scanner Hustle “” in Wellsprings. The acquisition route is therefore an activity reward rather than a routine store purchase.
Strong when disruption can affect several enemies
The EMP effect is most useful when Yinglong’s automatic fire can keep pressure on groups or clustered targets. This gives the weapon a practical crowd-disruption angle beyond ordinary Smart SMG tracking.
Its special effect is also its main limitation
The EMP component is chance-based rather than a guaranteed effect on every shot. Yinglong should therefore be evaluated as an automatic Smart SMG with bonus disruption, not as a dependable replacement for a dedicated quickhack or control tool.
Upgradeable as an Iconic weapon
Yinglong follows the post-2.0 Iconic progression model: its crafting route and later tier upgrades are part of its value, while its defining modifier remains the reason to choose it over a conventional Smart SMG.
Different from a plain Smart SMG
Compared with a standard Smart SMG, Yinglong trades a simpler weapon identity for a distinctive EMP-based effect. The relevant comparison is therefore not only raw firearm performance, but also whether the build benefits from electrical disruption and Smart Weapon support.
Overview
Yinglong is an Iconic Smart Submachine Gun in Cyberpunk 2077. Its defining feature is a chance-based EMP effect that adds area disruption to the tracking fire expected from a Smart weapon, giving it a distinct anti-machine and crowd-control role.
Yinglong belongs to the post-2.0 weapon system and remains relevant in both the base game and Phantom Liberty-era progression. It is not a Phantom Liberty-exclusive weapon, and its identity is tied to the Smart weapon category rather than to a special variant or separate mode. As an Iconic firearm, it is distinguished by a unique effect instead of being only a higher-tier version of an ordinary submachine gun.
The weapon combines Smart targeting with a chance to trigger an EMP blast when its shots connect. That effect can damage or disrupt nearby targets and is particularly relevant against cyberware-dependent enemies, drones, mechs, turrets, and other machines. The EMP behaviour gives Yinglong value beyond direct target damage, although its chance-based activation means the effect should be treated as additional utility rather than a permanently active firing mode.
In practical use, Yinglong suits a player who wants an automatic close-to-mid-range weapon that can pressure groups while occasionally interfering with mechanical enemies. Its Smart technology helps it occupy a different role from Power submachine guns, which rely more directly on conventional bullet behaviour, and from Tech firearms, whose identity centres on charging and penetration. Yinglong is therefore best understood as a utility-oriented Smart SMG rather than simply an automatic weapon with an Iconic label.
Yinglong enters progression through an Iconic weapon acquisition route associated with organized-crime activity, so it is a discoverable reward rather than a standard firearm that must be judged only by vendor availability. Its value depends on the encounter mix and on whether a build already invests in Smart Weapons or submachine-gun support. Players focused on mechanical targets gain more from its EMP utility, while a player seeking uncomplicated sustained gunfire may reasonably prefer an Iconic whose effect is always directly visible.
Statistics
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Submachine Gun |
| Subtype | Submachine Gun |
| Technology | Smart |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Stat Scaling | Tier-dependent |
| Iconic | Yes |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Content Scope | Base game / free update |
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar submachine guns
| Attribute |  Yinglong | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun | Submachine Gun |
| Technology | Smart | Power | Smart | Smart | Power |
| Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo | Handgun Ammo |
| Iconic | Yes | — | — | — | — |
How to Obtain
- Access to Pacifica and the West Wind Estate area.
- The NCPD Scanner Hustle must be available on the map; no separate story mission, NG+, or Phantom Liberty requirement is established for the base-game acquisition route.
- The crafting spec is a fixed reward from the activity leader rather than a random world drop. The activity can be completed later, and no separate vendor recovery route is established here.
- 01Travel to Pacifica and complete the NCPD Scanner Hustle titled “Suspected Organized Crime Activity: West Wind Estate.” Defeat the activity leader and loot the Iconic Yinglong crafting spec from the leader’s reward. The spec is tied to this activity rather than a normal weapon vendor, so clearing the event is the reliable acquisition route; after collecting it, craft Yinglong through the weapon-crafting menu when you have the required components and an eligible crafting tier.
Availability
Base game — post-2.0 weapon system
Yinglong is crafted rather than bought from a regular vendor. Its crafting and upgrade availability follows the current tier-based weapon system; no separate Phantom Liberty requirement is needed.
- Requires
- Defeat Denzel Cryer in the NCPD Scanner Hustle “Suspected Organized Crime Activity: Living the Big Life” and loot the crafting specification.
Phantom Liberty / Dogtown
The weapon originates from base-game content rather than a Dogtown vendor or Phantom Liberty quest.
- Requires
- No Phantom Liberty access requirement identified.
Mechanics and Handling
Yinglong is an automatic Smart SMG whose defining feature is the interaction between its homing ammunition and its Iconic quickhack effect. It is most effective when used against several cyberware-equipped enemies at close to medium combat distance, where sustained fire can create repeated opportunities for its special effect to activate.
Smart targeting and sustained fire
Yinglong uses the Smart weapon system rather than relying solely on conventional manual aiming. With compatible Smart Link cyberware, fired rounds can track locked targets, making the weapon more forgiving when enemies move laterally or when several targets occupy the same engagement area. Target acquisition remains important: the weapon is not a substitute for selecting and maintaining a valid lock, and its tracking does not remove the need to manage positioning or line of fire.
The weapon fires as an automatic SMG, so its handling is built around keeping the stream of fire on a target rather than carefully timing isolated shots. Shorter controlled bursts help preserve target focus and ammunition, while sustained fire is useful when trying to generate repeated hit events for Yinglong’s Iconic effect. The weapon’s effective role is therefore closer to an aggressive close- or mid-range Smart firearm than to a precision rifle.
Cyberware Malfunction and EMP activation
Hits from Yinglong have a chance to upload the Cyberware Malfunction quickhack. When that quickhack uploads, the weapon’s Iconic effect triggers an EMP blast that damages nearby enemies and interferes with their cyberware. The effect is conditional: it is not a permanent property applied by every round, and the weapon should not be described as dealing a guaranteed EMP burst on demand.
This gives Yinglong a combat pattern that rewards sustained contact with groups rather than single-shot damage testing. A successful upload can affect enemies beyond the original target, so clustered opponents are a better opportunity for the weapon than widely separated targets. The EMP interaction is especially relevant against enemies whose defenses or abilities depend on cyberware; it is less decisive when the encounter offers few valid targets for the quickhack or when enemies are spread far enough apart to limit the blast’s secondary value.
Practical handling considerations
Yinglong’s Smart tracking and quickhack effect complement one another, but neither removes ordinary firearm constraints. The user still has to maintain a useful angle, keep targets within practical engagement distance, and control ammunition consumption during automatic fire. Reload timing matters because interrupting a sustained attack also interrupts the sequence of hit opportunities that can lead to a quickhack upload.
The weapon fits Smart Weapons and quickhack-oriented approaches particularly well. Smart Link support enables its intended targeting behaviour, while Cyberdeck builds that already invest in quickhack effects can make better use of the Cyberware Malfunction interaction than a build that treats the gun as an ordinary SMG. Its special effect should be understood as additional area pressure layered onto automatic Smart fire, not as a replacement for a dedicated quickhack setup or a universal damage multiplier.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Smart-weapon targeting helps its automatic fire stay useful while the user is moving or dividing attention between several threats, provided the character has the required Smart Link support.
- Its defining EMP effect gives sustained fire a chance to trigger an electronic disruption and adds utility beyond ordinary bullet damage. This is especially relevant against drones, turrets, mechs and other targets vulnerable to electrical effects.
- As an automatic submachine gun, Yinglong can apply repeated hits quickly at close to medium combat distances, giving its special effect more opportunities to occur than a slow-firing weapon.
Weaknesses
- Smart targeting is a system dependency rather than a universal advantage: without compatible Smart Link equipment and suitable target acquisition, Yinglong loses much of what distinguishes it from other submachine guns.
- Its automatic fire and submachine-gun role make it less comfortable for deliberate long-range engagements, where target acquisition, spread and sustained-fire control matter more than its EMP effect.
- The EMP effect is chance-based, so it should not be treated as a guaranteed disable or as a substitute for a dedicated answer to heavily armoured mechanical enemies.
- Using Yinglong means giving up the different advantages of Power and Tech weapons, including their respective penetration, ricochet or charged-shot options.
Best uses
- Use it in Smart Weapons builds that already invest in Smart Link functionality and want an automatic weapon with an additional anti-electronic role.
- Bring it into encounters containing multiple drones, turrets, mechs or other cybernetic targets, where repeated fire can combine ordinary hits with possible EMP disruption.
- Use it as a close-to-medium-range pressure weapon against groups rather than as a precision rifle substitute; keep a longer-range or non-Smart option available for engagements where its targeting system and automatic fire are less effective.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Attribute | Yinglong | Dian |  Prototype: Shingen Mark V |  Raiju |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class and technology | Smart | Smart | Smart | Tech |
| Distinctive comparison | EMP-oriented effect gives it a cyberware- and machine-disruption role in addition to automatic fire. | The conventional weapon family counterpart; it provides the Smart SMG baseline without Yinglong's Iconic effect. | Emphasizes explosive ammunition and multi-target Smart Weapon pressure rather than Yinglong's EMP-focused utility. | Uses charged Tech Weapon behaviour instead of Smart targeting, making charge timing and cover penetration more central to its handling. |
| Best fit | Players building around Smart Weapons who want area disruption and electronic-target utility. | A straightforward Smart SMG choice when Yinglong's special effect is not required. | Players who prefer explosive area damage and simultaneous target coverage. | Tech Weapon builds that want a close-range automatic weapon with charged-shot utility. |
Used In
- Living the Big LifeThe crafting spec for Yinglong is obtained from the leader of this NCPD Scanner Hustle, Suspected Organized Crime Activity: Living the Big Life.
- Denzel CryerDenzel Cryer is the activity leader associated with the Yinglong crafting spec; loot the spec after defeating him.
- WellspringsLiving the Big Life takes place in Wellsprings, where the Yinglong crafting spec can be recovered.
- TKI-20 ShingenYinglong is an Iconic variant of the TKI-20 Shingen smart submachine gun.
Trivia
- The name “Yinglong” refers to a winged dragon in Chinese mythology. The term is commonly associated with a rain-bringing dragon, giving the weapon a mythological name distinct from Cyberpunk 2077’s otherwise largely technical firearm naming.
