Helldivers 2 PC Update Slashes File Size by 85%
In a move that’s sure to delight PC gamers everywhere, the developers of Helldivers 2 have announced a massive reduction in the game’s file size. What was once a storage-hungry giant is now a much more manageable download, freeing up valuable space on your hard drive. This significant change comes as part of a new technical beta update available on Steam.
If you’ve been struggling with limited storage space on your PC, this latest update for Helldivers 2 is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. The development team revealed that they have successfully cut down the PC file size by an incredible 85%, creating enough room for you to install one or two other large games without having to delete anything.
Understanding the Helldivers 2 File Size Reduction
In a recent post on the game’s official Steam page, the developers at Arrowhead Game Studios, in partnership with the porting experts at Nixxes, detailed their long-term goal of aligning the PC installation size with its console counterparts. They joyfully announced that this objective was achieved much earlier than anticipated.
The team explained their process, stated on Steam, “By completely de-duplicating our data, we were able to reduce the PC installation size from ~154GB to ~23GB, for a total saving of ~131GB.” This is a huge victory for PC players who previously had to manage a much larger installation compared to those on PS5.
The initial reason for the massive file size was a development choice to duplicate game asset data. This strategy was intended to speed up loading times on older mechanical hard drives (HDDs), a technology that the developers estimated about 11% of the Helldivers 2 player base still uses. The duplication was meant to provide a smoother experience for this segment of players.
Why Did the Helldivers 2 File Size Change?
As the team continued to analyze game performance, they discovered something interesting. The primary factor influencing loading times in Helldivers 2 wasn’t the loading of game assets from the disk, but rather the procedural generation of levels. This level-generation process occurs at the same time as asset loading, making it the main determinant of how long players have to wait before jumping into a mission.
This insight revealed that duplicating game data offered only a minimal benefit and primarily affected a small portion of the player community. Meanwhile, it dramatically increased the file size for every single player. Realizing this, the developers decided to reverse the data duplication, leading to a substantial decrease in the game’s storage footprint. They assured players that this change would have a “minimal” impact on load times, adding only “seconds at most” even for those still using HDDs.
How to Get the Slim Version of Helldivers 2
For those eager to reclaim their hard drive space, the “slim” version of Helldivers 2 is now available through a technical public beta on Steam. Opting in is a straightforward process:
- Open your Steam Library and right-click on Helldivers 2.
- Select “Properties” from the dropdown menu, then navigate to the “Betas” tab.
- In the private beta code field, enter prod_slim and click “Check Code.”
- Under the “Beta Participation” dropdown, select the newly available beta branch.
It is important to note that this beta version will likely break any existing mods you have installed. Mod creators will need time to update their creations to be compatible with this new file structure.
Once the developers have worked out any potential issues identified during the beta testing phase, this slim version will become the default installation for all Helldivers 2 players on PC. For a short period after the change becomes standard, Arrowhead will allow players to opt back into the larger legacy version using the code “prod_legacy,” but this option will be temporary.
This update is a testament to the development team’s commitment to improving the player experience for the Helldivers 2 community. By listening to feedback and re-evaluating their technical approach, they’ve delivered a significant quality-of-life improvement that will benefit nearly every Helldiver on PC.
