Tear Gas
Gas grenade that creates a lingering damage and denial cloud.
Key Takeaways
Tear Gas is a throwable area-denial weapon in Grand Theft Auto V, despite being classified here for a melee-focused request. Its value comes from the lingering gas cloud rather than an immediate blast.
Lingering area effect
The canister releases a gas cloud after it lands, affecting a location over time instead of resolving as a single explosive impact.
Controls space
Its lingering effect can discourage movement through a doorway, position, or other confined area, making placement more important than direct-hit accuracy.
Limited immediate burst
Compared with a conventional Grenade, Tear Gas trades immediate explosive force for delayed area control; it is less suited to quickly removing a target.
Mode-specific access
Story Mode and GTA Online handle weapon availability separately, so the acquisition route and any requirement should be checked for the mode being played.
No Mk II conversion
Tear Gas is a standalone throwable rather than a firearm with a documented Mk II conversion, special-ammunition path, or firearm attachment progression.
Overview
Tear Gas is a throwable area-denial weapon in Grand Theft Auto V, built around a lingering gas cloud rather than an immediate explosive impact. It is available in both Story Mode and GTA Online, although access and handling context can differ by mode.
Tear Gas occupies the throwable slot, not the melee category. When thrown, its canister releases a cloud that remains at the impact area for a period of time. The effect makes it useful for influencing a space, disrupting people inside it, and discouraging movement through a doorway, vehicle approach, corridor, or other confined position.
Its defining behaviour separates it from a standard Grenade. A Grenade is primarily an immediate burst of explosive force, while Tear Gas rewards placement and persistence: the throw matters because the cloud continues affecting the area after the initial impact. That makes it more suitable for controlling a position than for reliably finishing a target with one explosion.
Tear Gas is most relevant when the player wants to shape an encounter rather than trade direct weapon damage. It can pressure NPCs or other players away from a location and create a temporary hazard around an objective. Its value is consequently dependent on positioning, timing, and whether the target can leave the affected area.
The weapon has no separate Mk II identity or firearm-style attachment role described here. In both Story Mode and GTA Online, it should be understood as a situational throwable whose usefulness comes from its lingering area effect. The acquisition route, mode-specific availability, and detailed combat behaviour belong in their dedicated sections rather than being treated as universal across the game.
Statistics
In-game values on GTA V's 0–100 stat bars, with the real magazine figure alongside. Taken from the project's verified weapons database, not from generated text.
- CategoryThrown
- Story ModeYes
- OnlineBase Game
- How to getAmmu-Nation
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar thrown
| Weapon | Damage |
|---|---|
| Tear Gas | — |
| Acid Package | 100 |
| BZ Gas | — |
| Flare | — |
| Grenade | 350 |
Damage, fire rate, accuracy and range are GTA V's own 0–100 stat scales; magazine is the real figure. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Grand Theft Auto V Story Mode: completion of The Jewel Store Job.
- GTA Online: Rank 1. No separate DLC, NG+, or Weapon Workshop requirement applies.
- 01Story Mode: complete The Jewel Store Job. After the mission unlocks the weapon, visit any Ammu-Nation and purchase Tear Gas from the throwable-weapons selection. The weapon is not tied to a particular regional branch.
- 02GTA Online: reach Rank 1, then visit any Ammu-Nation and purchase Tear Gas from the throwable-weapons selection. It is a standard store item rather than a mission reward, enemy drop, or Gun Van-only weapon.
Availability
Story Mode availability and any Ammu-Nation progression are separate from GTA Online unlock and pricing rules.
Use GTA Online's current vendor, progression, and price context; these should not be transferred to Story Mode.
Mechanics and Handling
Tear Gas is a throwable area-denial weapon in both Grand Theft Auto V Story Mode and GTA Online, rather than a conventional melee weapon. Its useful effect begins after the canister is thrown: it produces a lingering gas cloud at the impact area instead of relying on a direct-hit strike or an explosive blast. The cloud can affect characters who remain inside it, so placement and timing matter more than close-range attack speed or reach.
Gas cloud and crowd control
The cloud applies its effect over time to characters caught within it. Exposed NPCs may react with coughing and impaired movement, while prolonged exposure can reduce health. The effect is localized, making Tear Gas more useful for disrupting a doorway, narrow route, vehicle exit, or clustered group than for pursuing a moving target across open ground. It does not provide the immediate area-wide impact of an explosive throwable, and targets can avoid further exposure by leaving the cloud.
Throwing behaviour and resource use
Tear Gas is deployed by selecting it from the throwable weapon slot and throwing the canister toward the intended area. It is not a firearm, so magazine, reload, recoil, and firearm-style accuracy do not describe its handling. The player must account for the throw arc and the delay before the cloud becomes useful, particularly when enemies are already moving. Each throw consumes a Tear Gas unit from the available throwable supply; the weapon's value therefore comes from controlling space rather than repeatedly attacking a single target.
Practical limitations
The gas is not a safe substitute for cover or a guaranteed incapacitation tool. Its effect depends on the target remaining in the affected area, and careless placement can expose the player when fighting at close range. Use it before enemies occupy a chokepoint or while they are constrained by a doorway, vehicle, or scripted position. Against targets spread across a large area, a direct-damage weapon or a throwable with an immediate detonation is generally more dependable.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Creates a lingering gas cloud rather than requiring a direct hit, allowing it to control a patch of ground after the initial throw.
- Its area effect can pressure several nearby NPCs at once and make a doorway, alley, vehicle position, or other choke point harder to hold.
- The cloud can flush enemies from cover or punish enemies who remain in a confined area, giving the player time to reposition.
Weaknesses
- Its effect is delayed and tied to the cloud’s location, so it is less dependable against fast-moving, widely spaced, or highly mobile targets.
- The gas is indiscriminate: allies and the player can be affected if they enter or remain near the cloud, reducing its value in close-quarters engagements.
- It is a control tool rather than a reliable instant takedown; enemies that leave the area are no longer exposed to its lingering effect.
Best uses
- Block a narrow route while escaping, defending a position, or preparing another attack.
- Dislodge enemies from confined cover before pushing into the area.
- Separate or slow a clustered group in situations where immediate direct damage is less important than controlling movement.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class | Deployment and effect | Best suited to | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tear Gas | Creates a lingering gas area that disrupts occupants rather than producing an instant blast. | Denying a position, slowing groups, or controlling a confined area. | Its effect is localized and delayed; it is less direct than an explosive against a single exposed target. | — |
| Grenade | Thrown explosive with a timed detonation and immediate area damage. | Clearing clustered enemies or damaging targets without a placement step. | Provides less persistent area denial after detonation. | — |
| Sticky Bomb | Attaches to a surface or target and detonates when triggered by the user. | Planned ambushes, vehicle attacks, and controlled demolition. | Requires deliberate placement and manual detonation rather than passive area control. | — |
| Proximity Mine | Remains in place and detonates when a target approaches. | Defending a route, doorway, vehicle, or prepared position. | Needs setup and depends on an enemy entering its trigger area. | — |