Skill Guide
Watch Dogs is best known for the way in incorporates hacking into the game itself, but players can purchase upgrades that extend beyond that central mechanics. There are four main categories (Combat, Crafted Items, Driving, and Hacking), and the upgrades for each are listed below.
Combat
| Category | Tier | Upgrade | Description | Cost |
| Combat | 1 | Focus | Slow Aiden's perception of time. | 1 |
| Combat | 2 | Stealth Sprint | Reduce the detection radius of sprinting while in combat. (requires Focus) | 4 |
| Combat | 2 | Critical Focus | Replenish Aiden's Focus meter when his health is critically low. (requires Stealth Sprint) | 5 |
| Combat | 2 | Improved Focus | Increase the maximum duration of Aiden's Focus ability. (requires Focus) | 2 |
| Combat | 2 | Slowed Focus | Times moves even slower while using Focus. (requires Improved Focus) | 3 |
| Combat | 2 | Maximized Focus | Greatly increases the maximum duration of Aiden's Focus ability. (requires Slowed Focus) | 5 |
| Weapon | 1 | Quick Switch | Increase Aiden's speed when swapping between weapons. | 1 |
| Weapon | 2 | Pistol Expert | Increases rate-of-fire with semi-automatic pistols. (requires Quick Switch) | 2 |
| Weapon | 2 | Shotgun Expert | Increases shotgun damage against vehicles. (requires Pistol Expert) | 3 |
| Weapon | 2 | Sniper Rifle Expert | Increase scope stability with all sniper rifles. (requires Shotgun Expert) | 5 |
| Weapon | 2 | Auto Weapons Expert | Increases burst-fire precision with automatic weapons. (requires Shotgun Expert) | 5 |
| Tactical | 1 | Steady Aim | Decreases weapon recoil. | 1 |
| Tactical | 2 | Demolitionist | Increases Aiden's amount of carried explosives. (requires Steady Aim) | 3 |
| Tactical | 2 | Expert Demolitionist | Further increases Aiden's amount of carried explosives. (requires Demolitionist) | 4 |
| Tactical | 2 | Enforced Combat Takedown | Perform a combat takedown on an enforcer-class enemy. (requires Expert Demolitionist) | 5 |
| Tactical | 2 | Bullet Resistance | Decreases the damage Aiden takes from small arms fire. (requires Steady Aim) | 2 |
| Tactical | 2 | Blast Resistance | Decreases the damage Aiden takes from explosions. (requires Bullet Resistance) | 3 |
| Tactical | 2 | Rapid Reload | Shortens reload times for all weapon types. (requires Blast Resistance) | 4 |
Crafted Items
| Category | Tier | Upgrade | Description | Cost |
| Combat | N/A | Lure | Attracts the attention of nearby enemies. | Default |
| Combat | N/A | Focus Boost | Pills that provide a massive and instant Focus recovery. (requires Lure) | 2 |
| Tactical | N/A | Jam Comms | Interrupt phone calls and scramble ctOS scans. (requires Lure) | 1 |
| Tactical | N/A | Blackout | Single-use device that plunges several city blocks into darkness. (requires Jam Comms) | 1 |
| Tactical | N/A | ctOS Scan | Single-use device that scans an area to detect and tag enemies. (requires Blackout) | 3 |
| Explosive | N/A | Frag Grenade | It's a grenade. You throw it and count to three, then boom. (requires Lure) | 1 |
| Explosive | N/A | I.E.D. | Remote-detonated improvised explosive devices that are highly effective against vehicles. (requires Frag Grenade) | 2 |
| Explosive | N/A | Proximity I.E.D. | Improvised explosive devices affixed with proximity sensors. (requires I.E.D.) | 3 |
Driving
| Category | Tier | Upgrade | Description | Cost |
| N/A | 1 | Car Unlock | Disables car alarms and allows Aiden to remotely unlock cars. | 1 |
| N/A | 1 | Defensive Driver | Decreases amount of vehicle damage taken during collisions. (requires Car Unlock) | 2 |
| N/A | 2 | Precision Driver | Tires have a lower chance of popping. | 3 |
| N/A | 2 | Escape Artist | Improves the radius of the hide-in-car ability during evasions. (requires Precision Driver) | 5 |
| N/A | 2 | Off-Road Driver | Improves handling on grass and dirt. (requires Defensive Driver) | 3 |
| N/A | 2 | Offensive Driver | Cause more damage to other vehicles during collisions. (requires Off-Road Driver) | 5 |
Hacking
| Category | Tier | Upgrade | Description | Cost |
| Phone | 1 | Hacker's Tool Kit | Access electronic devices and various other things. | Default |
| Phone | 1 | Extra Battery I | Adds another battery slot to Aiden's cell phone. | 1 |
| Phone | 1 | ATM Hack Boost | Increases the amount of money gained by hacking bank accounts with the Profiler. | 3 |
| Phone | 2 | Extra Battery II | Adds another battery slot to Aiden's cell phone. (requires Extra Battery I) | 3 |
| Phone | 2 | Extra Battery III | Adds another battery slot to Aiden's cell phone. (requires Extra Battery II) | 5 |
| Phone | 2 | Profiler Optimization | Automatically highlight citizens with valuable items, including system keys, rich bank accounts and rare vehicles. (requires ATM Hack Boost) | 4 |
| Phone | 2 | ATM Hack Boost + | Greatly increases the amount of money gained by hacking bank accounts with the Profiler. (requires Profiler Optimization) | 5 |
| Utility | 1 | Utilities | Overload building utilities (junction boxes, fuse panels, etc) to create deadly or distracting explosions. | Default |
| Utility | 1 | L-Train Control | Start and stop Chicago's elevated train system at will. | 1 |
| Utility | 1 | Transformers | Create large-scale blackouts by overloading large transformers. (requires L-Train Control) | 3 |
| Utility | 2 | Disrupt Enemy Comms | Distract an enemy by sending a painful amount of feedback through his helmet communicator. | 3 |
| Utility | 2 | Disable Reinforcement Calls | Prevent an enemy from calling for backup during combat. | 5 |
| ctOS | 1 | Traffic Lights | Redirect traffic signals, potentially causing accidents and eliminating pursuing vehicles. | Default |
| ctOS | 1 | Gates and Garages | Open and close gates or garage doors. | 1 |
| ctOS | 1 | Bridges | Raise, lower, open and close Chicago's various bridges. (requires Gates and Garages) | 1 |
| ctOS | 1 | Blockers | Raise or lower traffic bollards to eliminate pursuing vehicles. | 1 |
| ctOS | 2 | Steam Pipes | Overload steam pipes that vent to the city streets, causing dangerous explosions. (requires Bridges) | 3 |
| ctOS | 2 | Road Spikes | Raise and lower spike strips across town, disabling pursuing vehicles by popping their tires. (requires Blockers) | 2 |
| ctOS | 2 | Disable Helicopter | Disable an enemy helicopter for 15 seconds. (requires Gates and Garages) | 2 |
| ctOS | 2 | Improved Disable Helicopter | Disable an enemy helicopter for 30 seconds. (requires Disable Helicopter) | 3 |
