On December 2, 2025, Arrowhead announced that that Helldivers 2 on PC has seen its install footprint fall dramatically after work with Sony’s Nixxes Software. The studio says the game’s PC client has been reduced from 154 GB to 23 GB, a roughly 85 percent cut. Arrowhead attributes the change to an effort to “completely de-duplicating our data,” a move the team says removes multiple copies of the same assets across packages while preserving player saves and progression.
The change is rolling out first as an opt-in beta on Steam. Arrowhead adds that “there are no functional differences between the legacy and slim versions besides the installation size” and that internal testing shows mission load times on mechanical hard drives increase only by a few seconds in worst-case scenarios. The official Steam announcement has the full technical details.
The report of the update was posted by Wario64 on X, and Arrowhead expects the slim build to replace the legacy client once any beta issues are resolved.
Helldivers 2 on PC has reduced installation size from 154GB to 23GB thanks to support from Nixxes https://t.co/uhqGuHIlxL pic.twitter.com/v18zhH1IEm
— Wario64 (@Wario64) December 2, 2025
For context, the PlayStation 5 build remains roughly 36 GB on disk. Reducing PC installs has been a visible priority for several teams this year and follows earlier efforts documented when other big shooters trimmed their footprints; see the Call of Duty PS5 size reduction that reclaimed over 100 GB. This is a clear win for PC players short on storage and for anyone who likes keeping more games installed at once. Players can try the slim beta now through the Steam opt-in, and the studio will flip the default once it’s satisfied with stability.
Want to weigh in on the change or share how much space you reclaimed? Join the conversation and follow us on X, Bluesky, and YouTube.
Helldivers 2
Developed by Arrowhead Game Studios
Helldivers 2 is a cooperative third-person shooter in which squads of up to four players are deployed from orbit onto hostile planets to complete strategic missions. Players select loadouts of weapons, armor, and stratagems that allow them to call in orbital strikes, supply drops, vehicles, and turrets during combat. Friendly fire is always active, requiring coordination between teammates. The game features a persistent galactic war where community-wide performance determines which planets are liberated or lost.
- Genre Shooter, Tactical
- Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Perspective First person, Third person
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release February 8, 2024
- Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment
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