GTA San Andreas gang wars and territories
How gang wars work in GTA San Andreas: when they unlock, how to start one, the three waves, what owning turf gives and when to take it.
Key facts
- Unlocks
- After Sweet's mission Doberman
- Gangs
- Grove Street Families (green), Ballas (purple), Vagos (yellow)
- Territories
- 57 in Los Santos (IGN's count)
- Waves per war
- 3
- Needed for 100%
- No
Gang wars let CJ win back Los Santos for the Grove Street Families one block at a time. They are optional, but owning turf earns respect and money, and it makes the city safer to drive around. This guide follows IGN’s gang war and beginner pages.
When gang wars unlock
Gang wars open after Sweet’s mission Doberman, near the end of the first Los Santos chapter. From then on the map shows who controls each block:
| Gang | Color on the map |
|---|---|
| Grove Street Families | Green |
| Ballas | Purple |
| Los Santos Vagos | Yellow |
IGN’s turf page counts 57 territories across Los Santos, spread over districts such as East Los Santos, Idlewood, Ganton, Santa Maria Beach and Vinewood.
How to start a war
- Walk into any territory that is not green.
- Kill rival gang members there. IGN says three kills on their turf starts a war.
- The block flashes red on the map, and you need to survive three waves of attackers.
IGN describes the waves getting tougher. The first wave carries baseball bats, pistols and Micro SMGs, the second adds MP5s, and the third brings AK-47s. Body armor and health appear between waves, and rivals drop weapons and cash. You do not get a wanted level during a war.
When the last wave falls, the game tells you the hood is yours and the block turns green.
What owning turf gives you
- Respect. Taking territory is one of the main ways to raise it, alongside missions and killing rival gang members.
- A bigger crew. More respect means more followers. IGN says CJ starts with two and can lead up to seven.
- Money. IGN’s turf page says territory generates cash that you collect in front of CJ’s home. The more you own, the more it pays. IGN’s asset page adds that the Johnson House improves as you take and hold the surrounding hoods.
- Safer streets. IGN notes that rival gangs stop appearing in areas you control.
Defending your turf
Rival gangs will try to take blocks back. When that happens the area flashes red on the map and a marker appears on screen. Get there and fight off the attack, or IGN says you lose the territory and have to win it back with a new war.
When to take territory
IGN’s advice is to hold off on a full takeover. Later in the story CJ leaves Los Santos, and when he returns for the final chapter the territories have gone back to rival gangs. IGN says gang wars are switched off after Sweet’s mission The Green Sabre and only return after the mission Home Coming.
IGN notes you have to win back turf before the final mission, End of the Line. Owning every single territory is not needed for the story or for 100% completion.
Tips
- Bring backup. Recruit Grove Street members by locking on and pressing up on the d-pad (G on PC). IGN says they are better as a distraction than as fighters, but that still helps.
- Wear body armor and pick up the armor and health that spawn between waves.
- Use a car. IGN suggests running enemies down before stepping out, since the car protects CJ.
- Spray the tags. Finishing all 100 Los Santos tags gives Grove Street members better weapons, according to IGN and GamesRadar. See our collectibles guide.
Achievement
In the Definitive Edition, Ain’t Nothing But a G Thing asks you to own every gang turf and every property, and to have $1,000,000.
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