Cyberpunk 2077 has no single mods folder. Depending on how a mod was built, its files land in one of a handful of places inside the game directory, and a good share of mods rely on a few community frameworks that have to be installed first. The good news: almost every mod is packed so you can extract it straight into the game folder, and the files fall into the right places by themselves.
The short version
- Find the game folder, the one with
archive,binandr6inside. - Install the frameworks the mod lists as requirements, in their newest versions.
- Open the mod’s archive and extract it into the game folder, keeping its folder structure.
- If the download is just a single
.archivefile, put it intoarchive\pc\mod. - Start the game. REDmod mods also have to be deployed first.
Find the game folder
- Steam: right-click Cyberpunk 2077 and choose Manage → Browse local files. The default is
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Cyberpunk 2077. - GOG Galaxy: click the settings icon next to the Play button, then Manage installation → Show folder.
- Epic Games Launcher: click the three dots on the game, choose Manage, then use the folder icon next to the install location.
You’re in the right place when you see the folders archive, bin, engine and r6.
The folders that matter
Where a file goes depends on what kind of mod it is:
.archivefiles are the most common kind: clothing, vehicles, textures, new items. They go intoarchive\pc\mod. Create themodfolder if it doesn’t exist yet.- REDmod mods are folders with an
info.jsoninside. They go into themodsfolder of the game directory, one folder per mod. - Cyber Engine Tweaks mods are Lua scripts, usually with an
init.lua, and live inbin\x64\plugins\cyber_engine_tweaks\mods. - redscript mods (
.redsfiles) go intor6\scripts, and TweakXL tweaks (.yaml) intor6\tweaks. - RED4ext plugins (
.dll) belong inred4ext\plugins.
You rarely have to sort any of this yourself. A well-packed mod already contains the full path, for example archive\pc\mod\yourmod.archive, so extracting it into the game folder puts everything where it belongs.
Install the frameworks first
A large part of the modding scene builds on the same few tools. When a mod lists them as requirements, they aren’t optional:
| Framework | What it does | A sign you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Engine Tweaks (CET) | Lua scripting and an in-game overlay for mod settings | Mod settings menus, console commands, spawn codes |
| RED4ext | Loads native plugins into the game | Required by ArchiveXL, TweakXL and Codeware |
| redscript | Compiles script mods that change game logic | .reds files in the download |
| ArchiveXL | Lets mods add new items instead of replacing existing ones | New clothing, hair, vehicles or apartments |
| TweakXL | Loads changes to the game’s internal database | .yaml files meant for r6\tweaks |
| Codeware | A shared library for script mods | Listed in the mod’s requirements |
Install them like any other mod, by extracting them into the game folder, and keep them up to date. The first time you start the game with CET installed, it asks you to pick a key for its overlay. Clothing mods often depend on a shop mod as well: Emi’s Juicy Couture Atelier, for example, sells its items in-game through the Virtual Atelier mod.
REDmod, the official format
REDmod is CD Projekt Red’s own modding tool. It’s a free DLC: on Steam you’ll find it among the game’s DLC, and on GOG and Epic it’s listed as a free add-on. Mods made for it go into the mods folder, but the game only loads them after they’ve been deployed:
- Install the REDmod DLC.
- Copy the mod’s folder into
Cyberpunk 2077\mods. - Deploy the mods. The launcher’s option for enabling mods does this, and so do Vortex and WolvenKit.
- Deploy again whenever you add or remove a REDmod mod. The first start after a change takes a little longer than usual.
Not every mod uses REDmod. Most .archive mods work without it entirely.
Mod managers: Vortex, MO2 and WolvenKit
Installing by hand is perfectly fine for a few mods. Once you have dozens, a manager saves time:
- Vortex from Nexus Mods installs mods with one click, deploys REDmod mods for you and can switch mods off without deleting them.
- Mod Organizer 2 supports Cyberpunk 2077 as well, and keeps mods outside the game folder altogether.
- WolvenKit, the community’s modding toolkit, includes a mod manager with a REDmod deploy button.
Pick one approach and stick with it. Mixing hand-installed files with a manager’s files is the quickest way to lose track of what’s actually installed.
When a game patch breaks your mods
Patches change the game executable, and the frameworks that hook into it (CET, RED4ext, redscript and friends) need updates of their own. Until those arrive, the game may crash on start or quietly ignore mods. What helps:
- On Steam, set the game to update only when you launch it; on GOG Galaxy, turn off automatic updates for it. Then you decide when to patch.
- After a patch, update the frameworks first and the mods that depend on them second.
- When something fails, read the logs.
red4ext\logs,r6\logs(redscript) and thebin\x64\plugins\cyber_engine_tweaksfolder (CET) usually name the mod that caused the trouble. - If REDmod mods act up, empty the
r6\cache\moddedfolder and deploy again.
Common mistakes
- Extracting one level too deep. If you end up with
Cyberpunk 2077\MyMod\archive\pc\mod, the mod is sitting inside an extra folder. The mod’sarchivefolder has to merge with the game’s own. - Skipping requirements. A clothing mod that needs ArchiveXL won’t show up without it.
- Outdated frameworks after a patch. Update CET, RED4ext and redscript before you blame the mod.
- Two mods changing the same thing.
.archivefiles load in alphabetical order, or in the order given in amodlist.txtinsidearchive\pc\mod, and when two of them change the same item, the one that loads first wins. Often the simplest fix is to keep only one. - Forgetting to deploy REDmod mods. They sit in the folder doing nothing until they’ve been deployed.
Frequently asked questions
Do mods work on PlayStation or Xbox?
No. Cyberpunk 2077 mods are PC-only.
Do I need REDmod?
Only for mods made in the REDmod format. Most clothing, vehicle and texture mods are plain .archive files and don’t need it.
Will mods affect my saves?
Mods that only change how things look are harmless. Mods that add items, quests or apartments can leave references in saves made while they were installed. Back up your saves before removing anything big; they’re in Saved Games\CD Projekt Red\Cyberpunk 2077 in your user folder.
Does Phantom Liberty change anything?
No. Mods install the same way with or without the expansion. Some mods simply require it, because they change its content.
Are Cyberpunk mods safe?
Frameworks such as CET and RED4ext run code inside the game, so download them from their official pages. Every mod on CrashMods is scanned with VirusTotal before it’s published.
Browse all Cyberpunk 2077 mods on CrashMods, from cars like the Camaro SS 2010 to apartment upgrades such as the H10 Apartment Balcony.
