Cyberpunk 2077 Guide | Which Lifepath To Pick? Nomad, Street Kid, or Corpo?

Choose your life path wisely and shape your destiny in Night City.

Game Guide by Monarch on Mar 25, 2025

Life paths in Cyberpunk 2077 are one of the biggest choices you make at the start of the game. This decision influences how your journey begins, but it also creates ripple effects throughout your entire playthrough. The storyline is the same regardless of the lifepath you choose, but the choices you make along the way affect your character's interactions with others, the dialog options, and even the side missions, rewards, and romance possibilities you can develop.

The game's starting varies depending on your lifepath. This will affect the first quest you encounter and your journey to Night City. Keep in mind that all three life pathways lead to the same plot in the end, although they see the world in different ways. The way others see you and the opportunities that present themselves are both affected by your background.

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Nomad Life Path

As a Nomad, you are an outsider to Night City, having spent your life in the Badlands. The vast desert plains surrounding the city are harsh, filled with chemicals, resource extraction sites, and little opportunity for a stable life. Nomads survive by scavenging, smuggling, and relying on strong familial bonds within their clans.

You once had a family, but that tribe has now fallen apart, forcing you to seek a new beginning within the city. Your journey starts in a garage in the middle of the Badlands, where you are trying to fix your broken-down car. Your presence does not go unnoticed, and soon, the local sheriff approaches.

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With an NCPD badge on display, he makes it clear that you are not welcome in these parts. After a brief confrontation, he lets you go, and you move forward with your mission—meeting a contact to smuggle an important Arasaka package into Night City.

Your contact is none other than Jackie Welles, a man who will become one of the most important figures in your story. He already has the package in his possession, and together, you prepare to cross the border. However, the Badlands are never as simple as they seem.

As you make your way through the checkpoint, the border guards appear suspicious, knowing more than they let on. A quick bribe allows you to pass, but before you make it into the city, Arasaka security forces arrive, demanding that you hand over the corporate property.

It turns out the entire operation was a setup. The chase that follows leads to a high-speed shootout through a Biotechnica facility. After a desperate escape, you finally shake off your pursuers and reach Night City. With that, your Nomad prologue comes to an end, and your new life begins.

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Street Kid Life Path

As a Street Kid, you are Night City born and raised. The streets, the gangs, and the underworld are all familiar to you, making you more street-smart than either of the other life paths. You know how things work in the city, how to navigate the dangers, and who to avoid.

Your knowledge of the criminal underworld gives you an advantage in certain situations. It allows you to recognize scams, call out gang members, and access unique dialogue options that would be unavailable to a Nomad or a Corpo.

Your story begins in El Coyote Cojo, a bar in Heywood that you frequent. While enjoying a meal, the bartender informs you that he is in trouble with a fixer named Kirk and asks you to intervene on his behalf. In exchange for settling the issue, he promises to wipe your bar tab clean.

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Seeking out Kirk, you soon find yourself in the middle of a high-stakes heist. Kirk offers you a deal: steal a luxury Rayfield Aerondight 59 from an Arasaka executive, one of the most expensive cars in Night City.

With a device provided by Kirk, you locate the vehicle in Westbrook, break into it, and start it up. However, before you can drive off, you are caught by none other than Jackie Welles, who has the same idea.

Before either of you can react, NCPD officers ambush you. The Arasaka executive who owns the vehicle arrives at the scene, furious. Using his corporate influence, he orders the officers to dispose of you, but rather than executing the command, they simply knock you out and dump you in an alley.

When you regain consciousness, your prologue comes to an end, and your path forward in Night City begins.

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Corpo Life Path

Choosing the Corpo life path places you at the top of Night City's power structure—at least, until things go wrong. You are born into the high life, with access to wealth, resources, and corporate influence.

However, the higher you climb, the more cutthroat the corporate world becomes. The pursuit of power is ruthless, with employees scheming against one another to secure promotions, eliminate competition, and maintain control.

You work for Arasaka's Counter-Intelligence Division. Your story begins inside Arasaka Tower, one of the most heavily guarded corporate strongholds in the city. Looking into a mirror, you prepare yourself for another day in a world where trust does not exist.

This is one of the few times in the game where you will have unrestricted access to the upper levels of a megacorporation, a privilege you will not enjoy for long.

Cyberpunk 2077, PC, Gameplay, Which Lifepath To Pick? Nomad, Street Kid, or Corpo?, Screenshot, NoobFeed

Your boss, Arthur Jenkins, assigns you a task—eliminate Susan Abernathy, a corporate rival who stands in his way. He puts you in contact with an underworld fixer, a man named Jackie Welles, who is meant to assist in the job. As you descend into the city, you take in the breathtaking view from your AV, a stark contrast to the world of the lower classes.

Arriving at Lizzie's Bar in Watson District, you meet Jackie in person for the first time. Before you can put the plan into motion, Arasaka security forces storm the bar, led by none other than Susan Abernathy.

She discovered Jenkins' scheme and immediately retaliated. You are stripped of your Cyberware, your corporate privileges, and your job. In an instant, you are cut off from the corporate world, thrown into the streets of Night City with nothing.

Your Corpo prologue ends in disgrace, but your knowledge and connections will remain valuable assets as you carve out a new future for yourself.

How Life Paths Affect Gameplay

Beyond the prologue, your life path affects character interactions, unique dialog possibilities, quest choices, and the overall structure of your adventure. A Street Kid navigates gangs with ease, a Nomad thrives in the Badlands, and a Corpo excels in corporate deception.

Some missions and choices are exclusive to certain backgrounds, affecting how you extract information or assert dominance. Your path may also determine access to vendors, weapons, gear, and romance options, ensuring a unique experience within the overarching story.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a life path in Cyberpunk 2077 is more than just picking a starting point—it defines how you experience the world of Night City. Each path offers its own advantages, disadvantages, and role-playing opportunities. Whether you embrace the high-stakes world of corporate intrigue, the freedom of the open road, or the raw survival of the streets, your choice will set the foundation for your journey.

Also, check our Cyberpunk 2077 Review, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Review, and other guides below: