Helldivers 2 Dev Collaborates With Sony Studio Nixxes to Craft a Compact 23GB PC Version

Exciting news for Helldivers 2 fans! The developer, Arrowhead, has introduced a more compact version of its popular co-op third-person shooter for PC, drastically reducing its file size. This move aims to address longstanding concerns from PC gamers about the game’s hefty installation footprint.

Arrowhead’s Innovative Approach

Previously, Helldivers 2 occupied a massive 154GB on PC. However, with collaboration from Sony-owned PC port expert Nixxes, Arrowhead has achieved a remarkable reduction to just 23GB, effectively trimming the size by 131GB—an impressive 85% decrease. The newly optimized version is now available through a public technical beta, inviting PC players to participate. “Our testing shows that for the small percentage of players still using mechanical hard disk drives, mission loading times have only increased by a few seconds in the worst cases,” Arrowhead clarified.

Understanding the Loading Time Dynamics

Initially, Arrowhead was concerned that the decreased file size might result in significantly longer load times, potentially increasing by a factor of 10. Fortunately, these predictions did not materialize. “These loading time projections were based on industry data — comparing the loading times between SSD and HDD users where data duplication was and was not used,” Arrowhead explained. With actual game-specific measurements, they discovered that only around 11% of players use a mechanical HDD. It became clear that the main contributor to load times was level-generation rather than asset loading, even for HDD users.

What’s Next for Helldivers 2?

Once the beta phase confirms stability, the streamlined version of Helldivers 2 will become the default for all players, with plans to phase out the legacy version by next year. This transformation coincides with the arrival of the game’s major 5.0.0 patch and the jungle-themed Python Commandos Warbond update, which introduces eagerly awaited weapons, such as the minigun.

In a move set to please PC players, Helldivers 2 has dramatically reduced its file size, making it more accessible while managing to keep load times minimal.