Helldivers 2 Devs Call 150GB PC Size ‘Unacceptably Large’
Arrowhead Game Studios, the developer behind the wildly popular Helldivers 2, has publicly addressed the long-standing complaints regarding the game’s colossal installation size on PC. During a recent official developer interview, Deputy Technical Director Mikael Eriksson admitted that the current 150GB PC file size is “unacceptably large right now,” especially when contrasted with the much smaller 35GB footprint on consoles like the PlayStation 5.
The development team confirmed that the massive size bloat is primarily due to data duplication within the PC files. This development technique is necessary to optimize the game for players who use older, slower mechanical Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), which are still part of the game’s minimum system requirements. By duplicating common assets, the physical read head of the HDD can locate and retrieve data quicker, preventing extremely long loading times for missions and textures. However, this optimization method is not needed for modern Solid State Drives (SSDs), which is why the console versions are significantly smaller.
Arrowhead is actively exploring solutions to mitigate the size issue without penalizing players who rely on HDDs. Eriksson suggested that releasing different patch versions for players using HDDs and those using SSDs is a viable option, stating that this approach “could theoretically slice the size in half” for PC players. The developers are carefully weighing the trade-offs, acknowledging that any reduction in duplication might increase load times for HDD users. The studio is committed to finding a better balance between installation size and loading times, taking user concerns very seriously as they look toward a long-term solution across the globe.
About Helldivers 2
The game is now available on PlayStation 5 and PC, as a transformation from the above camera angle action game to a full-fledged shooter. Take players on a journey into a futuristic alien world with an army of soldiers who must fight deadly aliens who want to destroy humanity. Leading a team of companions with weapons to shoot at the advancing enemy relentlessly. With high-tech space sci-fi style tools and cross-play support.
THIS IS Our Take
Arrowhead’s honesty about the “unacceptably large” file size is a good step, and the underlying reason a commitment to not punishing players on older hardware is surprisingly commendable. However, the future of the game clearly requires a change. Maintaining support for HDDs at the cost of a 150GB file size is no longer sustainable, especially as the game continues to grow with new content. The solution of creating separate download branches for HDD and SSD users is the most logical path forward, allowing the vast majority of players on modern SSDs in Southeast Asia to reclaim their precious storage space for the next round of live service games.
