Square Enix rolled out a PC patch for NieR: Automata on Steam on November 6, 2026, intending to add three Asian language options to the action RPG. Instead of a modest download, the mandatory Nier Automata update accidentally forced players to clear 366GB of free storage before the client could begin installation. The base game normally asks for roughly 50GB on solid-state drives, but packaging errors turned the minor maintenance release into a huge storage barrier for desktop and handheld systems alike. Square Enix acknowledged the file size bug hours later and offered a temporary workaround while engineers prepare a permanent fix [5].
Nier Automata Update Depot Storage Glitch
The patch notes published on November 6 listed only three additions: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean text support. Nothing in the official notice hinted at heavier graphics, uncompressed audio, or new game content. Square Enix offered no advance warning about file growth. When Steam users clicked to download the patch, the client suddenly halted and demanded 366.56GB of available space [3].
Austin Wood of GamesRadar tested the installation on a test computer and confirmed the client refused to proceed without that exact volume of free disk space. The actual patch download for users who already had the files on their drives was only about 8GB, yet Steam refused to unpack it without 366GB of buffer room [3]. Players attempting a fresh install encountered the exact same demand, finding their digital libraries frozen unless they deleted multiple other games. Mikhail Madnani of RPG Site verified that the bug was not a visual error and that Steam actively required the full space on disk before queuing the download. Meanwhile, Wario64 helped circulate early alerts across social feeds as impacted players scrambled to figure out what happened [4].
The Steam store page continued to list a modest 50GB requirement under its system specifications, creating confusion among buyers who couldn’t understand why an older release needed so much room. Comparisons quickly spread across PC forums. The 366GB requirement following the Nier Automata update made it 1.5 times larger than GTA 6, whose PC installation size was recently pegged at 212GB. It also surpassed standard Call of Duty downloads [7].
Depot Duplication Inside DLC Packages
Community members and modders examining the update files quickly tracked down how the bloat occurred. The issue didn’t stem from malicious code or secret texture packs slipped into the depot. Instead, Square Enix accidentally bundled the entire 50GB base installation image into every single downloadable add-on package included with the Game of the YoRHa Edition [2]. Because the edition includes eight separate downloadable content items, Steam attempted to reserve space for the base files eight times in a row, stacking the packages together into one giant installation target. Carlos of AUTOMATON WEST pointed out that checking each of the eight DLC packages revealed each add-on had expanded to match the footprint of the primary game [5].
Under normal conditions, Steam applies differential patching, pulling only the modified binaries and localization strings that changed between releases to keep user bandwidth low [5]. With the digital depot misconfigured, Steam treated every cosmetic accessory and arena add-on as an independent copy of the full game client, forcing eight separate 40GB to 50GB checks [4].
The game itself still occupies only around 40GB to 50GB once files settle on disk, which means the 366GB demand functioned purely as an installation check rather than an expansion of game assets. Steam saw eight identical copies of the primary binaries and summed them together before downloading a single byte [5]. Players who lacked massive secondary drives found themselves locked out of an action RPG they had owned and played without trouble for years [2]. The spike echoed previous storage controversies, such as when Phantom Blade Zero required 300GB for its preload, but an unannounced jump on a catalog title caught players completely off guard [3].
Temporary Workaround for PC Players
As complaints mounted on social platforms, Square Enix addressed the incident through its Japanese communications channels. Square Enix posted an advisory on X via its official account, @NieR_JPN, acknowledging that the Steam installation process was asking for far more storage space than intended [5]. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” the company wrote. “As a temporary workaround, you can download the main game by unchecking the DLC from Steam’s ‘Properties’ → ‘DLC.’” [2]
The workaround allows owners to bypass the duplicate payloads by stripping away the extra content packages during setup. Users right-click NieR: Automata in their Steam library, open the properties menu, navigate to the DLC tab, and untick every listed package [1]. The client drops the required storage back down to its standard footprint of less than 50GB. Once the core 50GB installation finishes, players can return to the menu and check the boxes again to download their accessories without triggering the giant prerequisite check. Dedicated builds on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch rely on separate platform delivery pipelines, so console players never saw their files inflate. Windows users on Microsoft Store also avoided the glitch [5].
Nier Automata Update Sparks Player Backlash
Steam user reviews shifted negative within hours of the patch going live as frustrated buyers vented their annoyance. One reviewer with over 100 hours of playtime wrote: “Why? Because each DLC from YoRHa Edition is now the same size as the main game is. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.” Ethan Gach of Kotaku documented how user scores tumbled as players flooded the hub with negative feedback [2].
Another player poked fun at development automation, writing: “Claude, please add new language support for my game, no mistakes, masterpiece. It’s 366 gigabytes now? Splendid.” Others warned they would cancel their subscriptions to Final Fantasy XIV if Square Enix didn’t clean up the mess swiftly. Kirk McKeand of IGN reported that players accused Square Enix of negligence for pushing broken packaging to live servers. The bloated prerequisite proved especially disruptive for owners of portable gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally. Many of these handheld devices ship with storage drives of 512GB, where a single 366GB demand eats up over 70 percent of total available space [7].
Users couldn’t start automatic downloads without clearing out their handheld libraries [7]. Dom Peppiatt of Eurogamer noted that players were baffled to find a small patch hijacking entire storage arrays [6]. As one fan memorably put it in a widely shared review after downloading the Nier Automata update, “Now I just need to delete 90% of my computer to install this.” [2]
Previous Patches and Studio History
The patch surprised fans partly because NieR: Automata hadn’t received an update on PC in more than five years. The previous Steam patch arrived on July 15, 2021, resolving display and frame rate issues that had lingered since the original 2017 PC launch on Windows [5]. Since that update, the action RPG has enjoyed steady catalog sales without needing core engine adjustments. Alex Huebner of Insider Gaming noted that the PC community had long considered the build stable before this sudden patch. In February 2026, Square Enix announced that global shipments and digital sales of the game had officially surpassed 10 million copies [1].
Square Enix also celebrated the sales milestone by releasing a commemorative video on YouTube [1]. The game originally launched in March 2017 following development by PlatinumGames under the direction of Yoko Taro [7]. Square Enix later brought it to Nintendo Switch in October 2022, expanding its audience across hybrid consoles while maintaining an active following for its companion release, NieR Replicant [4].
Despite the commercial success of NieR: Automata, director Yoko Taro hasn’t released a direct follow-up, leaving the community eager for any studio activity. Taro addressed player inquiries last year, explaining that several projects he worked on were quietly discontinued during production. “I’ve actually been working on some stuff, it’s just that it never ended up seeing the light of day,” Taro said in late 2025 [7]. A Tencent-backed mobile title was also reportedly cancelled in 2024 after struggling with production costs [6]. For now, Square Enix says its PC engineers are working on rebuilding the Steam package depot so fans can install the localization update without clearing out their hard drives [1].
- ONLINE NEWS Huebner, A. (2026, November 6). NieR: Automata Devs Address 366 GB Update. Insider Gaming. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Gach, E. (2026, November 6). Fans Can’t Believe How Busted Nier: Automata’s Newest Patch Is. Kotaku. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Wood, A. (2026, November 5). Nier: Automata is now a 366GB install on Steam after a small update, up from 50GB. GamesRadar+. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Madnani, M. (2026, November 5). NieR: Automata new Steam update brings in additional language support. RPG Site. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Carlos. (2026, November 6). NieR: Automata developers working on fix after update accidentally raises Steam version’s file size from 50GB to 366GB. AUTOMATON WEST. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Peppiatt, D. (2026, November 6). Square Enix accidentally botches a Nier: Automata update, balloons required file size from 50GB to 366GB on PC, but don’t worry, there’s a fix. Eurogamer. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS McKeand, K. (2026, November 6). Nier: Automata Dev Working on a Fix for Patch That Accidentally Bloated the Game Size to 366GB on PC. IGN. [Article Link]
