I almost walked right past the Hawk iconic rifle on my first Phantom Liberty playthrough. Dogtown had already thrown so many new weapons, clothes, and cyberware at me that I stopped checking every corner. That was a mistake, especially because Hawk is one of the easiest free iconic weapons you can grab if you just remember to revisit a place the game assumes you might ignore.

Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 and Phantom Liberty added over 100 new items, including weapons, clothing, and cyberware. For collectors, that means dozens of new guns to hunt down. But Dogtown is massive, Night City is even bigger, and iconic firearms hide in some very sneaky spots. Hawk is left behind by NUSA President Rosalind Myers after the prologue events in Phantom Liberty. She uses it early on, and if you don't return to the safe house later, you'll miss out completely.

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Why the Hawk Is So Easy to Miss

Phantom Liberty bills itself as a spy thriller with safe houses and informants, but the safe houses themselves can feel pretty underwhelming because the game doesn't force you back to them very often. You end up with two main safe houses in Dogtown, and after the story moves forward, there isn't always a strong reason to return.

That's exactly why so many players never pick up Hawk.

Where to Get the Hawk Iconic Rifle

To get Hawk in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, you have to return to your first safe house on Kress Street. You visit this location during the early Phantom Liberty story. After you meet with Solomon Reed and later return to President Myers, she books a flight out of Dogtown. Once she's done and gone, make your way back to the Kress Street safe house.

Walk inside and look to the right side of the hallway. Her rifle from the intro is just leaning against the wall. It's completely free. No fight, no eddies, no special attribute check. You just walk up and grab it.

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Don't sleep on this one. Even if you're already using a solid assault rifle, Hawk is worth picking up because it's an iconic weapon that can be upgraded as you level. That makes it far more useful than most random drops you'll find in Dogtown.

Hawk Weapon Stats and Affixes

When I grabbed Hawk, it came as a Tier 3 Iconic Power Assault Rifle. That sounds modest, but the stat spread is excellent for both close and mid-range engagements. Here is the breakdown:

Stat Value
Type Power Assault Rifle
Attack Speed 5
Damage 34.98
Reload Speed 1.75
Effective Range 54.00
Weapon Handling 5.53

And the affixes:

  • +175% Headshot Damage Multiplier

  • +25% Armor Penetration

  • -3% Crit Chance

At first glance, the reduced crit chance might look annoying, but it's small enough to ignore. The massive headshot damage multiplier is the real star here. If you're comfortable landing headshots, Hawk turns into a monster, especially against heavily armored enemies in Dogtown. The armor penetration bonus also helps chew through tougher targets that shrug off lower-tier weapons.

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Honestly, most of the weapons I bought from the Black Market Vendor didn't feel as good as this free rifle. Hawk can absolutely carry you through a large chunk of the Phantom Liberty storyline.

Tips for Using Hawk Effectively

Because Hawk is a power assault rifle, it benefits most from a playstyle that rewards precision. Aim for the head whenever possible. If you pair it with cyberware that boosts rifle damage or slows time, you can line up those high-damage headshots more easily. The effective range of 54 means you're best in mid-range fights, so don't treat it like a sniper rifle. Use cover, pop out, and land clean bursts.

Also, don't forget that iconic weapons in Cyberpunk 2077 can be upgraded. If you find Hawk early and feel like the damage starts to fall off, invest some crafting materials into it before replacing it. That headshot multiplier stays valuable far longer than the base damage number suggests.

Final Blurb

The Hawk is one of those iconic guns that seems hidden in plain sight. If you completed the early Phantom Liberty missions and left the Kress Street safe house behind, turn around and go back. It takes two minutes and gives you a free rifle that feels great in almost every fight.

Even in 2026, when a lot of Cyberpunk 2077 guides feel outdated, the Hawk pickup remains the same. Grab it, mod it, and start stacking headshots. You'll thank yourself later. 🎯