Let's be real for a second. If you’re looking for a "God Mode" button or a "Give Me All the Money" prompt to type into a console in Watch Dogs 2, you're gonna be disappointed. Ubisoft didn't build it that way. Unlike the classic GTA games where typing "HESOYAM" solves all your problems, Marcus Holloway’s world is a bit more grounded—or at least as grounded as a game about a 3D-printing hacker collective can be. People talk about cheats Watch Dogs 2 enthusiasts use, but usually, they aren't talking about external software. They’re talking about exploiting the sandbox.
Hackers don't play fair. That’s kind of the whole point of DedSec, right?
The game is nearly a decade old now, but the way people interact with its systems hasn't changed. You’ve got people searching for "money glitches" or "XP farms" because they want to skip the grind and get straight to the high-tier gadgets like the Quadcopter or the more advanced drone upgrades. It makes sense. Trudging through the early game with just a jumper and a stun gun feels restrictive once you know what the late-game chaos looks like.
The Reality of Cheats Watch Dogs 2 and San Francisco's Economy
In the traditional sense, "cheats" don't exist in the console versions (PS4, PS5, Xbox One/Series) of Watch Dogs 2. You won't find a list of button combinations that make you invincible. Honestly, it’s probably better that way. The tension of a stealth mission in the Nudle offices or a shootout with the Bratva is what makes the game stay fun. However, if you're on PC, the conversation changes slightly because of trainers and mods, but even those come with a massive asterisk: Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC).
Ubisoft implemented EAC to stop people from ruining the multiplayer experience. Since the multiplayer is "seamless"—meaning a rival hacker can invade your game at any moment—the game is very protective of its code.
If you try to run a trainer to give yourself infinite health while connected to the internet, you’re basically asking for a ban. Most players who use external cheats Watch Dogs 2 tools have to launch the game with the -eacl_disabled command line argument. This effectively cuts you off from the leaderboards and the Bounty Hunter mode, but it lets you turn the Bay Area into your personal, consequence-free playground. It’s a trade-off. Is being a god worth being alone? For some, yeah.
Making Bank Without Breaking the Game
Most players don't actually want to "cheat" in the sense of hacking the game files; they just want to know how to get rich fast. San Francisco is expensive.
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The most effective "legal" cheat is just focusing on the Social Engineering skill tree. Specifically, the "Improved Profiler." This isn't just a quality-of-life upgrade. It’s the backbone of your bank account. It automatically flags NPCs who have large bank accounts. You can just walk down the Embarcadero, hold a button, and drain thousands of dollars from unsuspecting tourists without even stopping your stride.
If you want to maximize this, head to the high-end areas like Palo Alto or Marin. The NPCs there are literally walking ATMs.
- Get the Improved Profiler early.
- Hang out near the yacht clubs.
- Profit.
It’s almost funny how simple it is. You don't need a cheat code when the developers literally gave you a legal way to steal millions of dollars while listening to a podcast.
The Secret World of Script Hooks and PC Mods
Now, for the PC crowd, things get a bit weirder. There is a specific community that uses the "Script Hook" created by various modders over the years. This is the closest you’ll ever get to a "developer menu."
With a script hook, you can change the weather, spawn any vehicle in the game (even the ones you haven't unlocked), and change your character model to anyone from Wrench to a random police officer. It changes the vibe. Suddenly, you aren't Marcus anymore; you’re a rogue cop or a civilian caught in a digital war.
But again, don't forget the EAC. If you forget to disable it, the game won't even launch with these files in your directory. It’s a safety net that protects the integrity of the "Hacking Invasion" mode, which remains one of the most unique multiplayer experiences in modern gaming.
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Infinite Research Points: The Real Grind
Research points are the true currency of Watch Dogs 2. Money buys you clothes and cars, but research points buy you the ability to shut down the entire city's power grid.
Some people call it a cheat, but there’s a specific exploit involving the "Operations" missions. If you collect a research point in the open world and then immediately fail a mission or reload a checkpoint, sometimes the game state doesn't reset the pickup, but the point remains in your inventory. It's finicky. It's buggy. And honestly? It’s usually faster just to fly your drone around and find them normally.
The map is littered with these things. Use the "NetHack" view (the gray-and-blue vision) constantly. If you see a green icon through a wall, that's your target. Most of the "how to cheat" guides you see online are just explaining how to use the Quadcopter to reach places the developers intended for you to reach anyway.
Why People Still Look for These Shortcuts
Watch Dogs 2 is a "vibes" game. People want to experience the story of DedSec taking down Blume without necessarily doing the 40th "follow the courier" side mission.
There's a specific charm to the world-building. The radio stations, the NPC dialogue, the way the city feels alive—it’s top-tier. Using cheats Watch Dogs 2 players find online is often just a way to facilitate that exploration. If you have infinite money, you can buy the fastest bikes and just cruise across the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset.
There’s also the "Follower" system. Followers are essentially your XP. You get them by doing literally anything—taking selfies at ScoutX locations, finishing missions, or just causing chaos. A popular "non-cheat" cheat is to farm the ScoutX locations. Just grab a fast bike, open the app, and hit every landmark. You’ll gain thousands of followers in twenty minutes, unlocking research points much faster than by playing the story missions.
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Common Misconceptions About Hacking the Game
You’ll see plenty of sketchy websites claiming they have a "Watch Dogs 2 Money Generator."
Don't touch those.
They are scams. Always.
There is no web-based tool that can inject money into your Ubisoft account. Any "cheat" for this game is either going to be a local file modification on your PC or an in-game exploit. If a site asks for your login credentials to "give you followers," they are just stealing your account. It’s ironic, really—getting hacked while looking for hacks for a game about hackers.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re starting a new game and want that "cheated" feel without actually risking a ban or breaking the game, follow this specific path. It breaks the difficulty curve immediately.
- Prioritize the "Vehicle Directional Hack": This is the most overpowered skill in the game. You can move cars out of your way during chases or send police cruisers veering into the bay. It’s better than any weapon.
- The "Botnet" Upgrades: Money is useless if you don't have the energy to use your hacks. Spend your first 10 research points exclusively on Botnet capacity.
- The Drone is Mandatory: Save every penny for the Quadcopter. Don't buy clothes. Don't buy cars. The game changes the second you can fly. You can scout entire restricted areas and finish missions without Marcus ever stepping foot inside.
- Steal, Don't Buy: Remember that any car you see on the street can be yours. If you want a specific "Premium" car, look up its fixed spawn location on the map. Most of them, like the "Mountain King" or the "Wrecker," are hidden in plain sight and are completely free.
The "cheats" in Watch Dogs 2 are really just about understanding the sandbox. Ubisoft built a game where the protagonist is meant to be an opportunist. By exploiting the AI, farming high-wealth NPCs, and prioritizing the right skills, you become the digital god the game wants you to be. Just keep it offline if you're going to mess with the game's actual code—nobody likes a cheater in a fair fight, but everyone loves a powerful hacker in a single-player playground.