Cyberpunk 2077 has a 'cool' stat

In a demo today, we learned a lot about Cyberpunk 2077: that it's a first-person shooter RPG, for one thing. But this is likely the most critical bit of information about CD Projekt's new game. As you'd expect from an RPG, your character has stats that you'll increase throughout the game, leveling up characteristics including strength, constitution, intelligence, reflexes, and tech. Also: Cool.

There's a stat for cool.

We don't know exactly what cool does, but we're willing to bet cool is a way of measuring your character's charisma, albeit in a cyberpunk kind of way. It's one of the main stats that govern your character, and because dialogue is a core part of Cyberpunk 2077, it seems like the most likely candidate to influence how those conversations go.

Cool was actually a stat in Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop RPG, as well. Cool, along with empathy and attractiveness, were your main social stats. But cool was also about your character's ability to stay calm in combat. Here's a description from a character creator:

"This index measures how well the character stands up to stress, pressure, physical pain and/or torture. In determining your willingness to fight on despite wounds or your fighting ability under fire, Cool (CL) is essential. It is also the measure of how 'together' your character is and how tough he appears to others. Rockerboys and Fixers should always have a high Cool with Solos and Nomads having the highest of all."

One other stat in CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077 that might have a relationship with cool is 'street cred' which is a stat found on the main character's jacket that they can equip. Street cred, we are told, is like a kind of experience point system that let's you get into certain areas or have conversations that you otherwise shouldn't. The implication is that street cred is something that you earn through your actions, but can also influence by wearing especially cool types of gear.

Want more details? Check out our guide to everything we know about Cyberpunk 2077.

The collective PC Gamer editorial team worked together to write this article. PC Gamer is the global authority on PC games—starting in 1993 with the magazine, and then in 2010 with this website you're currently reading. We have writers across the US, UK and Australia, who you can read about here.