The short version
- A NieR: Automata patch on Steam, out around November 5, made the game ask for 366GB of free space instead of the usual 50GB or so.
- The patch itself only added Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean. The size jump is a bug, and Square Enix says it has found the cause and is working on a fix.
- For now, you can install just the base game by unticking the DLC in the game's Steam properties.
- The game costs ₹1,330 on Steam in India ($39.99 in the US), according to SteamDB's price tracker.
What happened
PlatinumGames' 2017 action RPG had a quiet update on Steam. SteamDB shows the public build was updated on November 5 at about 15:00 UTC (8:30pm IST). According to Instant Gaming's report, the patch did one thing: it added Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean to the list of supported languages.
Then players noticed the install size. Steam started asking for 366GB of free space. That's more than seven times the game's normal footprint, and more than many people's entire SSD.
Why the number ballooned
SteamDB's depot list explains it. A depot is a bundle of files that Steam downloads for a game or DLC. NieR: Automata has nine depots on Steam: the base game and eight DLC depots.
After the patch, SteamDB listed every one of those nine depots at 40.73 GiB on disk, the size of the base game. Nine times 40.73 is about 366.6 GiB, which matches the figure Steam showed. Instant Gaming says the game's size was mistakenly added to the size of each DLC.
Image: Zerocade
The real numbers are much smaller. With the DLC depots filtered out, SteamDB lists the Windows base game at 40.73 GiB on disk and a 23.61 GiB download. The bugged total was 366.56 GiB on disk and 227.59 GiB to download. A GiB is slightly bigger than a GB, which is why "40.73 GiB" and "about 50GB" in store listings don't line up exactly.
What Square Enix said, and the workaround
The official NieR account on X says the team has identified what's causing the bigger install requirement and is working on a fix. It also posted a workaround:
- Right-click NieR: Automata in your Steam library and open Properties.
- Go to the DLC tab.
- Untick each DLC item, so Steam downloads only the base game at its normal size.
You can tick them again once the fix is out. Instant Gaming adds that some players say the problem has already cleared up for them, though their sizes still look larger than they should. There's no Steam patch note explaining the bug yet, and Square Enix hasn't given a date for the fix.
Image: Square Enix
A port with a history
The PC version has history here. NieR: Automata launched on Steam in March 2017 with performance problems and missing resolution options, and players relied on a fan-made fix for years. Square Enix released the long-awaited official Steam patch in July 2021, more than four years later.
This bug is much less serious than those old problems, since it's a size listing error rather than a broken game. But a small language patch blocking installs for anyone with less than 366GB free isn't a good look for a game that still sells well. SteamDB shows 154,000 reviews with an 86% positive score.
What it means for you
If NieR: Automata is already installed, the update should add the new languages without filling your drive. Check the download size before you accept the update. If Steam wants hundreds of gigabytes, pause it and untick the DLC first.
If you're buying it now, it's ₹1,330 on Steam in India, and the lowest US price SteamDB has recorded is $13.99, from a sale in August 2025. Wait for Square Enix's fix before a fresh install, or use the DLC workaround.
Wondering why games are so big in the first place? Our explainer on why modern games take up so much space covers textures, audio, duplicated data and how patches download. If you're tight on storage this year, our post on GTA 6's reported 210GB PS5 size is worth a read too.
