The Storage Revolution Helldivers 2 Needed: Game Size Shrinks to 23 GB

One of the most persistent complaints among Helldivers 2 players—the colossal file size—is finally getting a radical solution thanks to a collaboration between Arrowhead Game Studios and Nixxes. Following recent updates that pushed the game past the 150 GB mark, a new technical beta has slashed that requirement down to just 23 GB.

From 154 GB to 23 GB: An 85% Reduction

With the recent release of “Underground Missions” and various performance patches, Helldivers 2’s PC footprint had swelled past 140 GB, eventually reaching approximately 154 GB with the latest additions. The development team has announced that by completely eliminating data duplication within the file structure, they have achieved a total savings of roughly 131 GB.

This optimization process was completed much sooner than anticipated, largely due to a partnership with Nixxes, a studio renowned for its expertise in PC ports. Currently available as a “public technical beta,” this update promises to free up a massive amount of disk space for players.

What About Load Times for HDD Users?

As you may recall, the developers previously explained that the game’s massive file size was a necessary trade-off to “optimize load times for players using mechanical hard drives (HDD).” Duplicating data on the disk was a common industry standard used to increase read speeds by physically placing data closer to where the drive head might be.

However, recent tests and real-world player data have revealed that this theory doesn’t apply specifically to Helldivers 2:

Real Data: Only 11% of the player base is playing on a mechanical HDD.
Bottleneck Analysis: It turns out the primary driver of load times in Helldivers 2 isn’t disk reading, but rather the “level-generation” process handled by the CPU.
The Result: Even with data duplication removed, load times on the slowest HDDs increased by only a few seconds in worst-case scenarios. For SSD users, the difference is negligible.

How to Switch to the “Slim” Version

Players eager to take advantage of these massive storage savings immediately can opt into the beta process via Steam. This version offers the exact same functionality as the current build; players can continue the Galactic War, maintain their progress, and matchmake without issues.

Steps to join the Beta:

Right-click on HELLDIVERS 2 in your Steam library and select Properties.
Navigate to the Betas tab on the left menu.
From the Beta Participation dropdown menu, select “prod_slim”.
Close the window and wait for the update to download.

Important Warning: Players using mods need to be cautious. This fundamental change to the file structure may cause installed mods to fail or result in game crashes. A clean installation is highly recommended before switching to the slim version.

Future Plans: Legacy Version to be Discontinued

Assuming no critical errors are encountered during the beta phase, this “Slim” version will become the default for everyone. While the “Legacy” version with the old file structure will remain accessible for a short time, the development team plans to fully retire it within the next year to avoid the operational burden of supporting two separate versions.

This radical drop in file size looks to be a massive relief, especially for PC players juggling limited SSD capacity.