There are many Gangs in the Sixth World of varying power.

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Gang members are notorious chip and alcohol abusers. To support their habits when the mobs have no work for them, gangs resort to extortion or to sending weaker members out as prostitutes to raise the nuyen to buy the next day's supply of booze and drugs. 

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Some gangs have operations that are world-wide, while other gangs only control a small neighborhood. There are gangs like the Ancients, the Cutters or the Spikes, that have subsidiaries - almost called "Chapters" - in most Sprawls or greater cities all over the UCAS, CAS or CFS.

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Gangs can be divided into:

• regular or street gangs - the ones which try to control a given territory

• go-gangs - motorized gangs which control the smuggling routes on the interstates - or try to do so

• thrill gangs - very violent, often made of rich kids. Members act violent and cruel for no other reason than being bored and some gangs are the armed and militant branches of racist Policlubs

• wiz gangs, wizzer gang or wizkids gang - formed of young and ruthless magicians, are rather rare, considering how few magic users are out there

• matrix gangs - composed of deckers exist on the Matrix

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Regardless of the different types, gangs are a facet of everyday life for the typical shadowrunner.