Helldivers 2 Makes 23GB ‘Slim’ PC Build the Default on March 17, Retires 154GB Version

Weeks of public stress testing showed only minimal load‑time changes, prompting Arrowhead's switch.

Overview

Arrowhead will remove the 'large' Steam build with the next patch on March 17, according to community manager Mitchell “Miitchimus” Ayre.
The new default reduces the PC install from roughly 154GB to about 23GB, freeing significant storage space for players.
Developers say follow‑up testing found only seconds of difference in load times, despite earlier worst‑case concerns about heavy slowdowns.
The original oversized build duplicated data to accommodate slower HDDs, an approach the team says is no longer necessary.
Player threads on Steam mix gratitude for the reduction with calls for PvP, bug fixes, and Steam trading cards.