One of the best features of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the game's gang warfare missions, and GTA Online or Grand Theft Auto 6 should find a way to bring them back. Gang warfare appeared as an optional (and sometimes mandatory) side mission multiple times throughout Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' story, but wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been. With GTAV coming to next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, along with the rumored development status of Grand Theft Auto 6, now is the time to bring back gang warfare.
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, players took on the role of Carl Johnson as he tried to extend the reach of the Grove Street Family. While many areas in Los Santos were available to be taken over from rival gangs like the Ballas and the Vagos, much of the game's map remained safe and unconquerable. When accessible, these side missions forced players to survive multiple waves of enemy attackers and were a great way to cause mid-city mayhem while also testing a player's combat skills and providing quality gameplay rewards, as each new conquered area added to the Grove Street Family's total income.
It seems like such a mechanic would be a perfect fit for long-term Grand Theft Auto Online players, who have already gone out of their way to form crime families and massive online roleplaying communities. It would be even better if San Andreas' gang warfare was integrated into Grand Theft Auto 6, and if so it would be ideal if Rockstar Games were to allow players to attempt to take over the entire map, not just whatever area of it they feel like should be gang territory. Part of the fun of running a gang in Grand Theft Auto, after all, is breaking the rules.
How GTA 6 Could Fix San Andreas' Gang Warfare
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, players could only take territory away from other gangs in certain designated areas. However, in the PlayStation 2 original release of the game, there was a glitch which could allow for more gang warfare areas to be opened up. Players would have to get into a plane and fly far, far out into the ocean. This could take some time, but if the player flew far enough into the outskirts of the map and then subsequently died, they would respawn with new areas on the map being able to be taken over through the gang warfare mechanic. This Grand Theft Auto glitch was inconsistent in execution but did provide players with a chance to take over areas they normally wouldn't be able to, and for those who utilized it, the glitch made San Andreas even more enjoyable.
If Grand Theft Auto 6 decides to focus on gangs in any capacity (and given the game's many Vice City location rumors, it seems likely) then it would be incredibly rewarding for long-time players if Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' gang warfare missions were to return in this capacity. Giving players the ability to inflict their influence over an entire map is something other open world crime games like The Godfather and Mafia 3 have attempted to do already, with varying degrees of success, but Rockstar Games' particular blend of open world action and gunplay would make this an incredible addition to whatever is already planned for Grand Theft Auto 6. They should let players experience this feature throughout the entire playthrough, however, and not just introduce it and then immediately take it away for the next two-fourths of the game.