NieR: Automata glitch inflates PC install size from 50GB to 366GB

PC gamers are running into a weird storage problem after a routine language patch, with some needing to free up 366GB to install the game and its DLC.

Usually, players look forward to seeing language options in game updates, since it makes the experience more accessible. But NieR: Automata PC players have been treated to a surprise. Instead of a simple update, customers are suddenly faced with an insane storage demand of 366GB, although the game's normal size is about 50GB.

The issue surfaced after Square Enix released a new PC update for NieR: Automata. The fix was supposed to be straightforward: adding support for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean. Unfortunately, something went wrong during the update, turning a simple upgrade into a major storage issue.

As if that weren't enough, the 366GB requirement isn't just a display error. In fact, players need that much free space available before they install the game and its associated features. Generally, this title is about 50GB. This is a huge and completely unnecessary jump. So how did a language upgrade create such a mess?

The complaints suggest the game's depot files are being incorrectly appended to the files associated with each DLC.

This appears to have led the installation system to count the same game data multiple times, leading to a very high storage requirement. Thankfully, the developers have already acknowledged the issue. The official NieR franchise account confirmed on X that the team has identified the core cause and is working on a fix.

In the meantime, players will need to use a temporary solution. The developers have asked PC players to go to their Steam library, right-click on NieR: Automata, and select Properties. From there, they can go to the DLC section and deselect the extra content. That should allow them to download and install the base game without going over the 366GB limit.

There's a catch, though. Players who want to install the DLC will have to wait until the issue is fixed. An acceptable stopgap for anyone who wants to get back in the game, but far from ideal for those who want everything loaded. This mistake probably won't detract from NieR: Automata's overall experience, but it's a sad blunder for a fairly basic update.

Basic quality testing should indicate a storage requirement rise from 50GB to 366GB. 

You don't need some elaborate testing technique to detect a game that suddenly needs more than seven times its normal storage space, after all. Unfortunately, this is another example of a small tweak that ends up causing annoying problems for PC gamers.  Players want an update to work without turning their storage devices upside down, even if the developers add a few language options. 

Square Enix is working on a permanent fix; however, in the meantime, players can work around the issue by temporarily deleting the DLC. Hopefully the fix will arrive soon, and the game's installation requirements will return to normal. But really, who would have thought that adding a few languages would make a 50GB game need over 300GB of free space?