Install Cyberpunk Mods on PC

To install Cyberpunk mods, back up your saves, check your game version and install only the frameworks listed by the mod author. Extract release archives into the game root when instructed, then test one mod at a time.

Modding Cyberpunk 2077 on PC turns Night City into an endlessly replayable playground, but with Update 2.5 many tutorials from 2021 are obsolete. This walkthrough explains the frameworks your selected mod may name, then covers the manual and Vortex routes step by step.

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Choose your frameworks

Requirements vary by mod. Check the author’s Requirements tab first; these tools serve different purposes and are not interchangeable:

ArchiveXL and TweakXL use RED4ext; REDmod is a separate official tool and does not replace it. Native Settings UI uses CET. Check the current ArchiveXL requirements and TweakXL requirements, including any redscript version constraints, before downloading. The CET guide covers the console overlay.

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For Codeware, Input Loader and Mod Settings, follow the dedicated entries. These are named prerequisites for particular mods; they are not a universal bundle. Start with the small PC QoL route or clothing and wardrobe route to see which ones a specific goal uses.

Manual installation

Manual installation gives you complete control over your files and avoids mod manager path mistakes.

Find the game folder

Your install directory depends on the store:

• Steam: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Cyberpunk 2077\
• GOG Galaxy: C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Cyberpunk 2077\
• Epic Games: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\Cyberpunk 2077\

Place the CET files

1. Download the CET release that supports your installed game patch from the author’s releases.
2. Open the downloaded .zip archive.
3. Extract the archive into your Cyberpunk 2077/ game root, merging the included bin folder.
4. Check that version.dll and the plugins folder now sit inside Cyberpunk 2077/bin/x64/.

Release archive

bin / x64 / version.dllbin / x64 / plugins / …

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Merge into the game root

Cyberpunk 2077 / bin / x64 / version.dllCyberpunk 2077 / bin / x64 / plugins / …

Extract into Cyberpunk 2077, not into bin/x64. A second nested bin folder means the files are in the wrong place.

See the CET installation documentation for the current release layout.

Bind the overlay key

1. Launch Cyberpunk 2077.
2. When the title screen loads, a CET prompt asks you to assign a keybind.
3. Press your preferred key, such as Tilde ~ or F1. That key now toggles the CET console.

If the overlay is missing

1. Install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64).
2. Turn off hardware overlays such as MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner and the Discord overlay; they can intercept DirectX 12 swapchain hooks.
3. Read the CET log in Cyberpunk 2077/bin/x64/plugins/cyber_engine_tweaks/cyber_engine_tweaks.log for initialization errors.

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Using Vortex

If you manage hundreds of clothing packs or vehicles, Vortex from Nexus Mods helps manage installation and deployment.

1. Download and install Vortex from Nexus Mods.
2. In the "Games" tab, search for Cyberpunk 2077 and click Manage.
3. Select your game installation folder.
4. Follow the mod author’s manager instructions; REDmod applies only to mods that use that format.
5. Click Mod Manager Download on any compatible mod page, then click Install and Deploy inside Vortex.

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Test and recover

1. Never install 30 mods at once. Add two or three, launch the game, and confirm it is stable.
2. Move obsolete mod files aside after game patches. When CD Projekt Red updates the game, remove old DLLs from bin/x64/ until the authors ship updated builds. The flatline crash fix walks through it.
3. Back up your saves. Keep an unmodded manual save in C:\Users\<Username>\Saved Games\CD Projekt Red\Cyberpunk 2077\.

Playing on console instead? PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S use the in-game mod.io menu, covered in the PS5 and Xbox mod guide.

Update or uninstall

Keep the downloaded archive or mod manager’s installed-file record. Use the author’s uninstall instructions and remove only the files belonging to that mod. Other mods may still need shared frameworks. If removing content makes a save fail, return to a clean backup instead of repeatedly overwriting it.

Sources and review

Editorial source review: 26 October 2026. Follow the linked author documentation for each release; this guide does not claim a complete in-game test. Review method.