Marvel Rivals Is Getting Smaller: Season 9.5 Cuts 40GB From PC Install and 15GB From Consoles

The Numbers Behind the Shrink

Marvel Rivals launched in December 2024 as a free-to-play 6v6 hero shooter. Like most live-service titles, its footprint grew with every season. Maps, skins, heroes, and events all piled up. By the middle of 2026, the game sat at roughly 100GB on PC and about 73GB on consoles. That's not unusual for the genre, but it's also not nothing. For players juggling multiple shooters on one drive, it was becoming a genuine problem.

Details on the update arrived in Dev Vision Vol. 20, posted August 5. In the video, NetEase outlined a texture compression overhaul designed to repackage the game's assets more efficiently. The headline figures: up to 57 percent off the PC install, which translates to roughly 40GB, and about 20 percent off on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, bringing those versions down to about 58GB.

How the Compression Works

The reduction comes from the way graphical assets are stored, not from cutting content. NetEase is adopting a new compression method for textures that packs the same visual data into less space. Maps, character models, and ability effects all stay in the game. They just take up less room on the drive.

There's a catch, though. The patch itself temporarily needs more free storage than usual. Because the update has to repackage existing files rather than simply deleting them, players may need to free up extra space before downloading. NetEase has warned that the update process requires additional headroom; once the repackaging is complete, the install settles at its new, smaller size. For players on capped data plans or with nearly full drives, that means clearing a little room before patch day to get the long-term payoff.

Season 9.5: More Than a Cleanup Pass

The storage optimization is the headline, but it's not the only thing arriving on August 7. Season 9.5 brings a new playable hero in The Hood, a Marvel antihero who mixes firearms with mystical abilities. The update also includes a full Peni Parker rework, which should change how the mech-piloting hero plays, along with a complete slate of balance changes for the rest of the roster.

That combination matters. File-size optimizations don't usually headline a seasonal update. Pairing the compression pass with real content gives players a reason to come back, and it signals that NetEase is treating storage footprint as a live-service problem worth solving, not just an unavoidable byproduct of ongoing development.

What 40GB Actually Means for Players

It's easy to dismiss install size as a technical footnote. In practice, it's a quality-of-life issue that affects almost everyone. A game that needs 100GB on PC forces tough choices: between Marvel Rivals and another multiplayer staple, between keeping the game installed and clearing space for a single-player title with its own hefty install. On consoles, where the PS5 and Xbox Series X offer roughly a terabyte of usable storage out of the box, the 15GB console cut matters just as much. It's the difference between having room for another game and having to uninstall something first.

There's also the question of visual fidelity. NetEase hasn't claimed the compressed textures are visually identical to what shipped before, and players with high-end displays may want to compare for themselves. For many players, reclaiming tens of gigabytes is worth the tradeoff. For the skeptical few, the patch notes and a quick trip into the practice range will provide answers.

A New Direction for the Live-Service Storage Race

The live-service model has a storage problem. Games that launch at 60GB reliably grow into 120GB or 150GB monsters within a couple of years. Studios usually respond by expanding minimum requirements. NetEase is doing something different. By investing in better compression and repackaging assets, it's reversing the trend rather than managing it.

That's a meaningful step, and it sets a precedent worth watching. If Marvel Rivals can shed 40GB without losing content, other studios will take notice. Players have been asking for smaller installs for years, and for the first time in a while, a major live-service title is delivering one. Season 9.5 won't just be remembered for its new hero or its balance changes. It'll be the update that finally made the game lighter.