Helldivers 2 will delist its 154GB legacy PC client as the new 23GB slim build becomes the standard installation after months of testing. Learn how the smaller client works and what the change means for players when the update arrives.
Helldivers 2 PC Slim Client Replaces Legacy Build in March Update
23GB Build Becomes the Default PC Version
Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios announced on March 5 that the game’s 23GB slim PC build will replace the 154GB legacy build on March 17, with the larger version set to be delisted following months of beta testing and player feedback.
The slimmer PC version was first introduced as a public technical beta in December 2025. During development, Arrowhead worked with Nixxes Software to reduce the installation size by removing duplicated data that had originally been included to improve loading speeds for players using mechanical hard disk drives. According to Arrowhead, the change reduces the PC installation size by about 131GB, or roughly 85%.
Arrowhead said in a December tech blog post that their estimates based on industry data—comparing loading times between SSD and HDD systems with and without duplicated data—suggested removing duplicated files could significantly increase loading times for players using HDDs. However, internal measurements later showed that most loading time in Helldivers 2 comes from generating the mission map rather than reading game data from the drive, meaning the change had little impact on loading speeds. Arrowhead also noted that only about 11% of active players were still using mechanical hard drives. In the same blog post, the developer said that "for the small percentage of players still using mechanical hard disk drives, mission loading times have only increased by a few seconds in the worst cases."
The studio added that "the longer-term goal has always been to bring the PC installation size much closer in line with the console versions." Console versions of the game already use significantly smaller installations. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions require roughly 25GB of storage, similar to the new slim PC build.
Following several weeks of public testing during recent updates, Arrowhead Game Studios said the smaller installation performed reliably enough to replace the legacy version entirely. Explaining the decision to remove the legacy version, the developer added that "maintaining the legacy version alongside the slim version would only add extra burden to our developers, build machines, QA teams, and release processes."
Players who want to switch early can already opt into the slim version through Steam. To do so, select Helldivers 2 in the Steam Library, open Properties, navigate to the Game Versions and Betas tab, and choose the prod_slim client to begin downloading the 23GB build.
Helldivers 2 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. To stay up-to-date on the game, check out our article below.
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Helldivers 2 Large Build Delist
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