CrimeCraft: GangWars
CrimeCraft: GangWars is a 3D MMO shooter that mixes quick, arcade-like firefights with light RPG progression, PvE missions, and a broad set of match types, all framed by a grim, post-apocalyptic setting where gangs have become the new order.
 | Publisher: Vogster Entertainment Playerbase: Low Type: MMOFPS Release Date: July 31, 2009 Shut Down: August 31, 2017 Pros: +Impressive visuals for its era. +Solid solo-friendly PvE mission options. +Plenty of maps and mode variety. +A surprisingly engaging setting and plot hook. Cons: -Tiny active community makes matchmaking difficult. -Enemy AI can feel undercooked. -Several default keybinds are inconvenient. |
CrimeCraft: GangWars Overview
CrimeCraft: GangWars drops you into Sunrise City, a rare pocket of relative safety in a world that has run out of fuel and reliable energy. That vacuum has been filled by criminal organizations, and the “law” is whatever the gangs can enforce block by block. From there, the game leans into its MMO shooter identity: you build a character, pick a combat profile, and queue into a steady rotation of PvP and PvE activities that reward cash, gear, and progression.
Instead of locking you into a single class forever, GangWars revolves around a large selection of combat profiles (20+). You can swap between presets or tailor your own loadout-driven build depending on what you want to do, whether that is a straightforward rifleman setup, a stealthier long-range role, or something built around explosives and utility. On top of the shooting, there are crafting-oriented professions that feed into weapons, armor, attachments, and consumables, giving the game a mild RPG economy layer without turning it into a full MMORPG.
Most importantly, the social endgame is tied to gangs. You can join an existing crew or build your own, then push into territory-focused conflict where control of zones and districts matters. Crimecraft shut down on August 31, 2017.
CrimeCraft: GangWars Key Features:
- Territory Wars – sign up with a gang (or start one) and compete for ownership of zones, districts, and eventually the city.
- Large Variety of Game Modes – fight across 20+ maps and 10+ match types, with options for both PvP and PvE sessions.
- Customize Your Avatar – use predefined combat profiles (sniper, grenadier, and more) or assemble a personalized setup that fits your preferences.
- Professions – choose from four profession paths to craft weapons, mods, armor, and drugs with different gameplay effects.
CrimeCraft: GangWars Screenshots
CrimeCraft: GangWars Featured Video
CrimeCraft: GangWars Review
CrimeCraft: GangWars is a free-to-play MMOFPS built around instanced matches, persistent progression, and a shared hub city that tries to make the world feel connected. It is positioned as the second and latest expansion to the original CrimeCraft, and it is set after the Bleedout campaign, when Sunrise City’s official leadership collapses and gangs step in to fill the gap. As a new arrival, you work your way up by taking jobs for local power brokers (gang leaders in practice), building reputation, and eventually competing for influence across the city.
From a presentation standpoint, the game still stands out for its time. Built on Unreal Engine 3, GangWars delivers sharp lighting, gritty environments, and character models that look better than you might expect from a 2009-era online shooter. It also supports both first-person and third-person perspectives, and swapping between them is quick enough that you can treat it as a preference setting rather than a commitment. Sound design is another high point, with moody music and punchy effects that match the bleak, urban tone.
Getting started and learning the systems
Character creation is fairly straightforward, focusing on the essentials, name, gender, and a limited set of cosmetic options like face, hair, and starter clothing. After that, GangWars offers a short tutorial match to teach the basics of shooting and movement, then points you toward a longer onboarding sequence that acts as both story prologue and mechanics training.
That extended “orientation” does a good job of introducing the game’s defining systems, combat profile customization, weapon modification, and crafting. The downside is that it asks for a decent chunk of time and can feel demanding for players who want to reach the main multiplayer loop quickly. Still, sticking with it is rewarding: finishing the full sequence bumps you to level 10 and hands out extra cash and equipment, which meaningfully accelerates early progression.
Sunrise City as a hub
Sunrise City functions as a persistent 3D space rather than a pure menu-driven lobby. In concept, it is closer to a social hub where you can see other players, move around, and pick up tasks, which helps the game feel more like an online world than a simple match browser.
In practice, the first hour can be disorienting. Access to different activities is tied to specific NPCs, and remembering who offers what is not immediately intuitive. The Quickplay bar (opened with Tab) does help by centralizing common actions like queueing for modes, starting missions, and buying gear. Even so, certain single-player missions still require you to interact with the right NPC before they appear in your menus, so you spend a bit of time learning the city’s “workflow” before everything clicks.
Combat flow and modes
Once you are in a match, the moment-to-moment gameplay is familiar to anyone who has played competitive shooters. Movement, aiming, and gunfeel are designed to be responsive and fast, and the game’s profile system lets you shift roles depending on the map or mode. A few control choices can trip up new players though, especially some default binds like using function keys for grenades and medkits, which is workable but not comfortable for many setups without rebinding.
Where GangWars really tries to earn its name is breadth. There are 10+ PvP and PvE modes spread across 20+ maps, which helps keep repetition down. PvE includes content that feels almost like compact “dungeon” runs, such as boss-hunt style encounters where you clear AI enemies and then face a stronger target, along with collection-focused tasks in maps packed with hostile NPCs. PvP covers staples like Team Deathmatch and Zone Control, plus more unusual concepts such as Core Annihilation, which borrows some lane-and-objective energy from MOBA design.
The major drawback is not the design, it is the population. With a very low playerbase, PvP queues can be extremely slow, and depending on when you play, it may be difficult to get a match at all. That reality pushes the experience heavily toward PvE and solo content.
Progression, skills, and crafting
Progression is built around leveling through missions and matches. Levels gate access to equipment and unlock additional functionality over time, such as extra profile options and another skill slot at specific milestones. Each level also provides skill points, which you invest into active and passive abilities that round out your build, including improvements tied to grenade usage and other combat tools.
Crafting is handled through profession leveling. As you create items, your profession rank increases, and higher ranks open up more advanced recipes. It is a simple loop, but it gives the economy a purpose and provides another path to improve your loadouts beyond pure drops or purchases.
Gangs, territory, and organized play
The factional fantasy is central here, gangs are not just a label, they are the social structure the game expects you to engage with. Joining one early is helpful, especially because experienced members can explain where to go, how to queue efficiently, and what to prioritize as you level. Entry is invitation-based, so you typically need contact with an existing member.
If you prefer to run your own group, forming a gang requires the leader to reach level 10 and pay 15,000 in-game cash. Functionally, gangs work like guilds or clans, with organized events and shared identity. Competitive play includes Gangwars, where two gangs agree on a map and mode and put cash on the line, with the winning side taking the full pot. Territory competition also matters, since controlling zones brings tax-like income when players launch activities tied to that zone, along with other perks and rewards.
Cash shop and monetization
As expected for a free-to-play title, GangWars includes subscriptions and premium purchases. Subscriptions mainly accelerate progression by boosting experience and cash income. The shop also offers gear, weapons, and various boosts.
Premium weapons tend to be stronger than baseline alternatives, but the game’s balance still leans toward aim, positioning, and decision-making. A skilled player using standard equipment can reliably outperform a newcomer even if that newcomer is carrying paid gear, which helps keep the shooter fundamentals relevant rather than letting stats dominate every encounter.
The Final Verdict: Good
CrimeCraft: GangWars delivers a compelling mix of sharp Unreal Engine 3 visuals, strong audio, quick firefights, and a surprisingly deep list of modes and items. Its onboarding can feel long, and the default control scheme benefits from rebinding, but those are manageable issues compared to the biggest problem: the game struggles to provide the “MMO” part of its MMO shooter identity when matchmaking is starved for players.
For anyone approaching it historically, it is easy to see why it appealed, the PvE content is varied, the hub-city framing is memorable, and the gang systems give the world a clear theme. Unfortunately, without a healthy population, the PvP side that should have been the centerpiece becomes difficult to access, and the overall experience cannot fully deliver on its promise.
CrimeCraft: GangWars Links
CrimeCraft: GangWars Official Site
CrimeCraft: GangWars Steam Page
CrimeCraft: GangWars Wikipedia
CrimeCraft: GangWars Wikia [Database/Guides]
CrimeCraft: GangWars System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP SP2 / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Single Core 1.6 ghz
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Video Card: GeForce 7600 class/ATI Radeon X1600
Direct X: DirectX 9.0c
Hard Disk Space: 10 GB available space
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP SP2 / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Dual Core 1.6 ghz
RAM: 2 GB RAM or more
Video Card: GeForce 9600 class/ATI Radeon 38xx
Direct X: DirectX 9.0c
Hard Disk Space: 10 GB or more available space
CrimeCraft: GangWars Music & Soundtrack
Coming Soon!
CrimeCraft: GangWars Additional Information
Developer: Vogster Entertainment
Publisher: Vogster Entertainment
Distributor: Steam
Game Engine: Unreal Engine 3
Closed Beta: May 20, 2009
Open Beta: July 31, 2009
Official Launch Date: August 25, 2009
Shut Down: August 31, 2017
Development History / Background:
CrimeCraft: GangWars is a free-to-play 3D MMO Shooter developed and published by Vogster Entertainment. GangWars is the third and latest expansion to the original CrimeCraft game which went into Open Beta on July 31, 2009 and was officially launched on August 25, 2009 as a retail game in partnership with Best Buy and THQ. THQ continued to publish the game until it went free-to-play on Steam on August 22, 2011 and has been free-to-play ever since. Crimecraft shut down on August 31, 2017.