Call of Duty: Vanguard is just around the corner, and fans have been waiting to know just how much hard drive space they would have to clear to play it. In a turn of events, it seems like Call of Duty: Vanguard will actually not have as big a file size as other recent entries.
The file size of Call of Duty was at one time a meme that ferociously expanded into a genuine issue, especially for players on older hardware. This year saw Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's file size balloon out of control, as it was easily occupying over 200GB of hard drive space on the PS5 between its campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies modes. Fortunately Treyarch allows players to select which parts of the game they would like to install, for instance, being able to uninstall the campaign once done with it, though in the case of Black Ops Cold War, the game was still over 150GB. Rumors earlier this summer saw Vanguard reportedly having an equally hefty file size, though it seems like things have since changed.
The official Call of Duty Twitter account has announced that Call of Duty: Vanguard's install size will be "significantly below" previous games. It prefaces this information with the acknowledgement of the ongoing fan complaint, stating, "Good news for hard drives everywhere," it being a juggling act for many trying to keep Call of Duty installed while hoping to play other games as well. Call of Duty explains one of the substantial reasons for Vanguard's reduced file size as the game's "new on-demand texture streaming tech," that should save up to "30-50%+" on next-gen consoles and PC.
An important disclaimer in Call of Duty's post is that the reduced file size only refers to the game's install size at launch. Vanguard is going to have a full campaign, a multiplayer experience separate from Warzone, and revamped Zombies experience; if the latter two modes receive consistent support and new content (which they most likely will), then it will not be long before Vanguard joins Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare before it in bloated file sizes. Some fans have pointed this out in the replies, that eventually Vanguard won't be any different from other Call of Duty entries, even if the starting file size is smaller.
This news will certainly be received differently by people, the biggest dividing factor being what platform people are playing on. The "on-demand texture streaming" is a feature that is only coming to next-gen consoles and PC, meaning those who have still yet to upgrade may be looking at likely even larger file sizes than those that have come before. Infinity Ward allowed PS4 and Xbox One Modern Warfare players to reduce the game's file size, but this was before the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and came out nearly nine months after the original release. Vanguard players on next-gen and PC will reap the benefits of this for now.
Call of Duty: Vanguard releases on November 5 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.