Helldivers 2 on PC just got a whole lot smaller, with developer Arrowhead Studios announcing a new, "slim" version of the game that reduces the game's install size by 131GB.
Fans on PC have long complained about the PC version's huge install size (and other technichal issues), which since the game's launch in 2024 has ballooned to 154GB. That's much larger than the close-to-22GB size of the console versions.
Arrowhead stated in a new blog post its long-term goal has always been to reduce the PC install size, but that now, with help from Nixxes Software, that goal has become a reality "much sooner than expected." Helldivers 2 on PC now only takes up 23GB--an 85% size reduction.
Users on PC who play Helldivers 2 on an HDD may experience slightly increased load times of a few seconds with this change, according to Arrowhead. The studio previously said it believed removing duplicate data on PC (which contributed to the game's huge install size) could potentially greatly increase load times for HDD players. Arrowhead said it now has data to prove that's not the case, as the majority of Helldivers 2's load times are due to level generation rather than asset loading.
There is, however, one catch to Helldivers 2's new, much smaller size. Players who want to free up space on their drive will need to opt in to a new "beta" version of Helldivers 2 on Steam, after which the game will update and its file size will be reduced. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to enable it.
Arrowhead stated that once players using the beta version confirm there are no issues present, the slim version will become the default. For a limited time after that, players will be able to opt in to the legacy version if need be. However, given that there are only "very minor differences in loading times" between each version, Arrowhead will not continue to support the legacy version long term, as it would add "extra burden" to the development team.
Alongside the file-size reduction on PC, Helldivers 2's new Python Commando Warbond is also live, adding a flame-spewing drone, minigun, chainsword, and more for Super Earth's defenders to add to their arsenal. The Warbond was delayed in order for Arrowhead to better start addressing various bugs and technical concerns players have had with Helldivers 2, including the game's file size.
In other Helldivers news, Sony's Helldivers film just found a director in Justin Lin, known for his work on the Fast and Furious film franchise.
Source
Fans on PC have long complained about the PC version's huge install size (and other technichal issues), which since the game's launch in 2024 has ballooned to 154GB. That's much larger than the close-to-22GB size of the console versions.
Arrowhead stated in a new blog post its long-term goal has always been to reduce the PC install size, but that now, with help from Nixxes Software, that goal has become a reality "much sooner than expected." Helldivers 2 on PC now only takes up 23GB--an 85% size reduction.
Users on PC who play Helldivers 2 on an HDD may experience slightly increased load times of a few seconds with this change, according to Arrowhead. The studio previously said it believed removing duplicate data on PC (which contributed to the game's huge install size) could potentially greatly increase load times for HDD players. Arrowhead said it now has data to prove that's not the case, as the majority of Helldivers 2's load times are due to level generation rather than asset loading.
There is, however, one catch to Helldivers 2's new, much smaller size. Players who want to free up space on their drive will need to opt in to a new "beta" version of Helldivers 2 on Steam, after which the game will update and its file size will be reduced. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to enable it.
- Find Helldivers 2 in your Steam library and right click
- Select Properties from the drop down menu
- Select the Betas tab
- In the Beta Participation drop down list, select "prod_slim"
- Close the dialog box and Helldivers 2 will update to the new version
Arrowhead stated that once players using the beta version confirm there are no issues present, the slim version will become the default. For a limited time after that, players will be able to opt in to the legacy version if need be. However, given that there are only "very minor differences in loading times" between each version, Arrowhead will not continue to support the legacy version long term, as it would add "extra burden" to the development team.
Alongside the file-size reduction on PC, Helldivers 2's new Python Commando Warbond is also live, adding a flame-spewing drone, minigun, chainsword, and more for Super Earth's defenders to add to their arsenal. The Warbond was delayed in order for Arrowhead to better start addressing various bugs and technical concerns players have had with Helldivers 2, including the game's file size.
In other Helldivers news, Sony's Helldivers film just found a director in Justin Lin, known for his work on the Fast and Furious film franchise.
Source