In a recent official interview, Mikael Eriksson, Game Director of Helldivers 2, acknowledged that the PC version’s file size—at roughly 150 GB—is currently “unacceptably large.” He confirmed that the development team has placed reducing the game’s storage footprint among its highest priorities.
Why the Huge Size?
Eriksson explained that one of the core reasons for the bloated size is the game’s support for both traditional mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). To maintain acceptable loading times for players on slower HDDs, the team employed a “file duplication” strategy — storing identical or very similar assets in multiple locations on disk so that the data is physically closer to the read head and reduces seek time.
By contrast, console versions of Helldivers 2 (which run only on SSDs) are significantly smaller, measuring around 30-40 GB in size.
Proposed Fixes & Outlook
Eriksson revealed that the team is exploring a possible solution: releasing separate patch branches for HDD users and SSD users. In theory, this could halve the PC version’s install size by eliminating redundant files for SSD-only systems.
However, he cautioned that this plan remains under investigation, with no firm implementation timeline yet:
“We could theoretically slice the size in half. … But for now it’s still a research phase — and I agree the size is already a bit on the “unacceptably large” side.”
Context & Significance
The issue of large install sizes has become a significant pain point for many PC gamers, especially as storage space becomes increasingly scarce and games require hundreds of gigabytes of disk space. The Helldivers 2 team’s willingness to face the issue and share technical details is a positive sign. It may serve as an example of how studios handle the tension between supporting legacy hardware (HDDs) and modern performance (SSDs).
Eriksson underscored the sentiment:
“We are looking into it. … I want everyone to know that we’re aware this is a problem, and we’re working on it.”
The above content is compiled by ModeZone, a fashion and entertainment magazine.
