“Thriving Steam Pokémon-inspired Game Unveils Palworld Partnership”

I thought I would make it all the way through winter without getting ill. We’re practically touching March. Yet, despite being within spitting distance of the clocks changing and bright evenings returning, I have the lurgy. This weekend, I will practice the art of the double duvet sausage roll.

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**Helldivers 2 PC Installation Size Greatly Decreased: An Announcement from Arrowhead Games**

*Helldivers 2*, Sony’s newest online cooperative shooter, has garnered a mixed reception, but a key point of debate was its excessive installation size on PC. Originally taking up a massive 150GB, the PC version was three times the size of its console versions. However, a recent update aims to resolve this concern.

On December 2, Arrowhead Games revealed a significant decrease in the installation size for *Helldivers 2*. The required disk space has dropped from around 154GB to just 23GB, effectively eliminating over 130GB. This cutback was facilitated by support studio Nixxes, which played an essential part in enhancing the game’s file organization.

The rationale behind the initial large installation size was the necessity to cater to different storage types. *Helldivers 2* was intended to be compatible with both solid-state drives (SSDs) and older mechanical hard drives. To guarantee quick loading times, Arrowhead incorporated redundant and duplicate files, which assisted older drives in functioning without lag. This approach harks back to earlier gaming days when numerous titles were launched on optical discs and consoles lacked the speed of contemporary SSDs. In contrast, console versions of *Helldivers 2* were compact since they utilized the effectiveness of SSD technology, eliminating the requirement for such extra data.

The recent update chiefly focuses on erasing these surplus files. Despite the considerable decrease, Arrowhead assures that loading times for users with older hardware will experience only slight delays—an acceptable trade-off for the reduced storage needs. Presently, this update is optional for PC players as Arrowhead examines it for any potential issues. Nevertheless, the studio intends to make this reduction mandatory in the forthcoming year to enhance the game’s accessibility and support.

In summary, these updates underscore Arrowhead Games’ dedication to enhancing player experience and accessibility, especially for PC users who might have been discouraged by the prior installation size. With the revised file structure, *Helldivers 2* aims to be more manageable while still providing an exciting gaming experience.

A trio of long-time Assassin’s Creed developers will lead the series into its “next era” now that it’s under the umbrella of Vantage Studios, Ubisoft’s new sub-company partly funded by Tencent. Martin Schelling, Jean Guesdon, and François de Billy are being handed the reins.

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