Grand Theft Auto 2 includes a pool of seven gangs, with each of the city's three levels containing only a group of three gangs. The Zaibatsu Corporation gang is included in every level.
Gangs
Zaibatsu Corporation
- Symbol: yellow 'Z'
Zaibatsu is a seemingly legitimate corporation which inhabits every district of the city. They manufacture everything from cars to medication, but beneath the surface they are involved heavily in narcotics, contract-killing and shadow politics. Their car, called a Z-Type, is the second fastest gang car available. There are three Zaibatsu representatives who offer the player jobs: Trey Welsh in the Commercial District, Red Valdez in the Residential District, and Uno Carb in the Industrial District. Their name comes from zaibatsu, the Japanese word for conglomerate. Their gang color is gray.
Loonies
- Symbol: winking smiley face
Escaped inmates who have overrun the city's mental institution (named "SunnySide" after the Mental Institution in Montrose, Scotland, near where the game was originally developed). They appear in the Commercial District and are quite crazy. Their gang car, the Dementia, is a green microcar with their insignia painted on the roof. They wear surgical green as their gang color.
The Yakuza
- Symbol: blue yen '¥'
They also appear in the Commercial District. They manufacture drugs and own a series of labs along the waterfront. Yakuza gangsters drive around in Y-Type sport cars (also known as the Miara). Their gang color is deep blue.
SRS (Sex and Reproductive Systems)
- Symbol: a golden shield
Also known as the Scientists, they are headquartered in the Residential District and run a clandestine research institute. Their concerns are advanced weapon development, human cloning, genetic engineering and robotics. Their gang color is gold, and all of their 'street' members appear to be genetically-engineered clone soldiers. Their gang car is called a Meteor and is the fastest gang car available. Their 'turf' is the Scientist Research Center, a sterile, oppressive-looking campus with a profusion of complex machinery. Although in other gangs the members only had pistols, the SRS members portray pistols, machine guns and flamethrowers.
Rednecks
- Symbol: the Confederate flag
Dwelling in a giant trailer park at the corner of the Residential District called "Disgracelands", the Rednecks are rabid fans of Elvis Presley who specialize in explosives. Their business is the brewing, distribution and selling of moonshine. Their car is a blue pick-up truck, and their gang color is light blue.
Russian Mafia
- Symbol: a red star
They appear in the Industrial District and specialize in contract-killing and gun running. Their car is the Bulwark, a station wagon, which is the most durable gang car in the game (capable of surviving one direct hit from a rocket propelled grenade, hand grenade or Molotov cocktail, if the car is in perfect condition). They can be found in the seaport areas. Their gang color is red.
Hare Krishna
- Symbol: an orange flower
The Krishnas reside in a commune/temple at the edge of the Industrial District. Their car, the Karma Bus, is a big love bus with flowers painted on its roof. Their gang color is bright orange. The Krishnas abhor technology, and their criminality is entirely based around stealing and destroying vehicles. The GTA2 game manual states this is due to the fact that they are tired of being run over by cars (a reference to the first Grand Theft Auto, where the player was rewarded for running them down).