NieR: Automata: Patch Bloats PC Installation To 366 GB

A language update gone wrong: The November 5th patch added Korean, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese language support to NieR: Automata on Steam. In doing so, the installation size on PC exploded to 366 GB, up from approximately 50 GB. According to IGN, Square Enix is already working on a solution.

What went wrong with NieR: Automata?

According to IGN, a bug is behind the problem: it applies the entire game to every single DLC package of the PC edition. Instead of downloading roughly 50 GB once, Steam suddenly shovels many times that amount onto the drive. IGN humorously calculates it: that's 1.5 copies of GTA 6.

Particularly frustrating: the Steam page still lists a storage requirement of 50 GB. Anyone relying on this information will be unpleasantly surprised during the download.

How to bypass the 366 GB for now

According to IGN, Square Enix confirmed in a Japanese tweet that the installation requires more storage space than expected since the latest update. The company is investigating the cause, working on a solution, and apologizes for the inconvenience. There is a workaround as a temporary solution:

Open Steam and find NieR: Automata in your library.
Right-click on the game and select Properties.
In the DLC tab, uncheck the boxes for the DLCs.
Then, download only the base game.

Important for anyone who has already installed: check your free storage space before pulling the patch. Those who want to wait should pause automatic updates for the game until Square Enix delivers the fix. When the fix will arrive is not yet known.

How is the community reacting to the 366 GB?

A wave of negative reviews hit Steam after the patch. IGN quotes players complaining that they can barely load or play other games. One reviewer stated they would only recommend the game again once it's fixed, while another even threatened Square Enix with canceling their FF14 subscription. The anger is thus directed less at the game itself and more at the blunder.

Our assessment: such a bug is annoying but likely easy to fix, as the game files themselves are apparently not corrupted, just duplicated. It remains embarrassing that the Steam page still shows 50 GB. Especially for a game that has been a perennial favorite for years, Square Enix will likely want to push out the fix quickly. The negative reviews should largely subside afterward.