GTA Online has erupted into absolute pandemonium. That is, more so than usual. For the last couple of days, factions of players dressed in neon green and purple alien onesies have been locked in an endless cycle of violence against one another. Now referred to as the "Alien War", this ongoing feud has spawned countless memes, a subreddit, and represents a phenomena that likely only came about as the result of quarantine-fueled boredom.
No one is certain who the first person was to dawn an alien suit and start attacking people, but what is certain is that it quickly became a trend. Reports began to circulate that small groups of these neon-clad players were cruising around Los Santos in search of unsuspecting victims. They would be armed with baseball bats and bad intentions, ambushing solo players who were most susceptible. In many cases, the target would be caught entirely off guard, resulting in their untimely demise. Warning, the following footage may be considered graphic:
As players grew tired of being victimized, some joined the ranks of their would-be attackers in hopes of finding safety. Others opted to start an opposing faction, known colloquially as purple gang, in an effort to combat the rising threat of green gang. As a result, what was initially isolated attacks on innocent-ish bystanders soon evolved into all out urban warfare.
Baseball bats gave way to automatic machine guns, minivans gave way to armor-plated cars, and back-alley ambushes gave way to large-scale battles that would engulf entire blocks. At this point, players who haven't picked sides may no longer be directly targeted now that the gangs have turned their sights on each other, but the streets of Los Santos are no more safe as a result.
Most, if not all altercations start off with someone taking not-so-subtle measures to incite violence. Having been in a server that was seemingly saturated with members of the green and purple gangs, I can attest that it doesn't take much to get things going. "F*** PURPS", one player announced in chat, unsolicited. A member of purple gang, whose honor had just been besmirched, then responded in kind with something equally provocative. It wasn't before long that each side had amassed their forces and began painting the streets in green and purple blood.
I attempted to insert myself into the front lines of one such altercation in hopes of documenting it, but I soon found out that no quarter was being granted to anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves amongst the chaos. One player, prior to bashing my skull in with a baseball bat, did agree to a brief interview. When asked what made them want to join green gang, they simply stated: "it's a fu**** dope color". Being as that was the last color my mortal eyes ever saw, I find myself inclined to agree.
