Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas (MTA:SA)

Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas (MTA:SA) is an open-source modification and multiplayer engine that extends Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with synchronized network play, a custom GUI, and an embedded scripting environment. It exposes game internals via a resource-based system so servers and clients can run synchronized Lua scripts to create custom game modes and content. (github.com)

Key Features

• Real-time networked multiplayer engine built on code-injection/hooking techniques to extend the original game engine.
• Embedded Lua scripting on both client and server for synchronized game logic, events, and custom game modes.
• Resource package system that bundles scripts, assets, and metadata for automatic distribution and dependency handling between servers and clients.
• Built-in server browser and ASE-based server announcement/querying for discovering public servers and their custom metadata.
• Cross-platform server builds (Windows and GNU/Linux) with documented build scripts, premake/gmake-based build system and official Docker build images for reproducible builds.
• Open-source project licensed under GPLv3 with an active repository, community forums, and documentation/wikis.

(github.com)

Use Cases

• Host public or private multiplayer GTA:SA servers running custom game modes (roleplay, racing, deathmatch, etc.).
• Develop and deploy custom gameplay systems, UI, and maps using Lua resources and the included map/editor tooling.
• Learn engine extension and multiplayer synchronization by studying and modifying an open-source game-engine-style project.

(community.multitheftauto.com)

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires a compatible copy of the original Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game; compatibility depends on specific game versions and platform setups.
• Some architectures (ARM builds) are listed as experimental and may be unstable or unsupported compared to x86_64 builds.
• As a mod that uses code-injection and low-level engine hooks, certain anti-cheat systems or platform restrictions may interfere; server stability and performance can vary with large numbers of objects or resources.

(github.com)

MTA:SA is a mature, community-driven platform for extending GTA: San Andreas into a persistent multiplayer environment and a scripting sandbox. It combines native C++ engine code with Lua scripting and a resource distribution model to enable diverse server types and modding workflows.