Overview
- NetEase announced in a Dev Vision video on Wednesday that Season 9.5 will go live on Friday, August 7, 2026, and will deliver a full texture-compression and asset repackaging.
- Because the studio must replace every asset, the initial Season 9.5 download will be larger than usual but the final install will shrink by roughly 40 GB on PC and about 15 GB on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
- NetEase says the compression preserves visual fidelity, and outlets report the smaller footprint should free local storage and reduce performance strain on lower-end PCs and consoles.
- The technical work arrives together with new content, including The Hood as a Vanguard and Swimsuit Special skins, so players will see gameplay and cosmetic changes alongside the repackaging.
- Reducing the game's size reverses years of live-service bloat, brings installs closer to launch size, and could ease support for future ports such as a potential Switch 2 release.