Cyberpunk 2077: How to Stop Overheat and Being Hacked in Combat

Cyberpunk 2077 has introduced a wide range of combat options, including the ability to hack your opponents during melee combat. Unfortunately, your opponents can also do that to you, which you may have noticed if Overheat popped up on your screen.

While it’s certainly frustrating to be in the middle of combat and wonder where Overheat is coming from and why you’re still taking damage, there’s good news. Overheat, like all combat hacking, is absolutely preventable.

What is Overheat in Cyberpunk 2077?

Overheat is one of many damaging quickhacks in Cyberpunk 2077. Overheat specifically deals damage over a period of time, and even hiding under cover can’t prevent the damage from coming if the hack has already started.

Once you’re hit with Overheat, the only way to stop it from reaching 100% and starting to affect your health is to take out the enemy netrunner who used it on you. Overheat isn’t the only quickhack you’ll have to deal with, but it’s the first and most common one.

Fortunately, Overheat is preventable. Once you’ve got the pieces in place, you can neutralize enemy netrunners trying to use Overheat or any other combat quickhack on you.

How do you stop Overheat and other hacking during combat in Cyberpunk 2077?

To put it simply, you just need to eliminate the enemy that’s hacking you. The problem is that in a massive combat scenario, it’s often very difficult to figure out where the quickhack is coming from.

You could always go barreling in and start taking out enemies, and chances are one of them will be the one that was using Overheat. However, there are a few things that’ll help you identify and eliminate the enemy netrunner.

Using I Spy Perk to Stop Overheat and Hacking

The first and most important thing to acquire is the “I Spy” Perk. There is an Ability Requirement, so you’ll need to have an Intelligence of at least 5 to unlock this Perk.

Once you’ve got it, “I Spy” will actively work in combat without you having to activate it. If you get hit with Overheat, or any other quickhack, you can go into scanning mode at which point you’ll see a clear yellow path from you to wherever the enemy netrunner is getting line of sight.

They can’t use Overheat or hack you unless they can see you, but that becomes tricky in an area filled with security cameras. You’ll often see that yellow line going from you to a camera, and then to a distant enemy.

How to Stop Cameras From Helping Overheat

If you don’t have a clear shot or view of the enemy netrunner, the first thing you want to do is take out the security cameras they’re using to get line of sight on you. This won’t stop an Overheat that’s already beginning to affect you, but it will make it harder for them to use it again.

If you’re used to quickhacking, the best way to take out cameras is through Breach Protocol. You’ll want to snag the Big Sleep Perk under Breach Protocol, which has no Ability Requirement and is available to all players.

This will let you go through a Breach Protocol Code Matrix puzzle with a potential outcome to disable all connected security cameras. If that doesn’t work, you can also can and deactivate a single camera in your line of sight from a distance. If all else fails, take aim and fire at that camera to destroy it.

Using Cyberware Malfunction Quickhack to Stop Overheat and Hacking

While you can always take out that enemy netrunner with a well-placed shot, sometimes they’re difficult to reach and might be stubborn to go down. If you want to buy yourself some time to eliminate them and stop Overheat and other quickhacks, there’s a quickhack of your own that can help.

The Cyberware Malfunction quickhack can sometimes be looted from containers or enemies, but you can also visit various quickhack vendors throughout Cyberpunk 2077 to purchase it. The cost can vary based on the rarity and effectiveness, but they all perform the same general task.

Using the Cyberware Malfunction on an enemy will disable their cyberware abilities, rendering Overheat and whatever other quickhack they wanted to execute unusable. It’ll also prevent them from using it again for a period of time depending on the quality or rarity of the quickhack.

Ultimately, you’ll still need to eliminate your opponent to permanently end their chances of using Overheat on you. However, Cyberware Malfunction can stop Overheat long enough to buy you time so you can finish them off without having to deal with that ongoing damage.