The recent beta update for Helldivers 2 has significantly reduced the game’s file size on PC, cutting it by approximately 85 percent. This change brings the installation size down from around 154GB to about 23GB, potentially allowing users to free up space for one or two additional large games.
The developers, in collaboration with Nixxes, aimed to align the PC version’s file size more closely with its console counterparts. They achieved this by completely de-duplicating the game data, which had previously been duplicated to enhance load times, particularly for players using mechanical hard drives (HDDs). The developers noted that roughly 11 percent of users are still utilizing HDDs.
Despite the substantial decrease in file size, the developers indicated that the impact on load times would be minimal, estimated to be just a few seconds. They have since realized that the primary cause of load times in Helldivers 2 relates to level generation rather than the loading of game assets. This understanding led to the conclusion that duplicating asset data had minimal benefits for the majority of players while unnecessarily inflating the file size for all.
Players who have the PC version of Helldivers 2 can participate in the public technical beta on Steam to access this more streamlined version of the game. Following the resolution of any issues identified during the beta testing phase, this updated version is expected to become the standard for all players.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/836948/helldivers-2-file-size-decrease