Skill Shards are a special type of consumable item in Cyberpunk 2077. Upon acquiring them, they immediately grant 400 XP to a particular skill. Skill Shards are usually found along with loot -inside containers or by the bodies of defeated enemies. This mini-guide outlines how players can obtain Skill Shards and use them.
Skill Shards differ from Data Shards and won’t appear in the player’s inventory. The Skill Shards are automatically applied when picked up.
The Skill Shards can be obtained by defeating enemies and picking them up. Each skill splinter adds a free 400 XP to the corresponding skills.
Players can check this out by accessing their Attribute skill tree and heading to the Intelligence section. At the bottom left of the screen, players can see the Skill Progression bar, and after picking up the Skill Shard, it will automatically increase.
A common misconception, players don’t have to manually ‘activate’ them to use them. They are automatically applied once you collect them. As you can see from the pictures above, your skill bar will increase by 400 XP.
If you find a Skill Shard, you will be given three options: Take All, Take, or Learn. Normally, picking it up using Take will immediately learn it and Learn. However, the Take All option allows you to store the skill shard in your backpack.
Thanks to Shards, players can promote their Skills faster to new levels. Most Skill shards are found in Gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles. Players looking to acquire Skill Shards should watch for these quests.