Research Points, also known as RP, are the main upgrade point system in Watch Dogs 2, which replaces the old Skill Points system used in the first Watch Dogs. RP are gained by either finding them in the open world or after accumulating a certain amount of followers, for example by completing missions or taking pictures for the ScoutX app. They can be used to upgrade in the Skills Tree, which is accessible from the _/Research app on Marcus's smartphone.
Advertisement