A 50GB game wants 366GB
The NieR: Automata 366GB install prompt is a nine-year-old game briefly asking for more space than plenty of SSDs have free. Square Enix’s Steam update on 6 November 2026 (JST) was supposed to add three languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean. Instead, Steam started asking for about 366GB to install a game that normally takes roughly 50GB.
Square Enix has posted on Steam that it identified an issue where installation “requires significantly more storage space than intended”. It says it is investigating the cause and working to resolve it, and it apologised for the inconvenience. The latest notice still says it is investigating, so no fix has been announced.
A few clicks fixes it
Square Enix’s temporary workaround is to download the base game at the intended size by going to Properties, then DLC, in Steam and unchecking each DLC item. Do that before you install and the prompt should drop back to the size the game actually needs.
Automaton reports that each of the game’s eight DLC now shows a size equal to the base game, which is how the total passes 360GB. It puts the exact figure at 366.56GB and says the game and its DLC take up only around 40 to 50GB once installed. Its suggestion for anyone who wants everything: install the base game first, then tick the DLC again and download them without worrying about the inflated size requirement.
PC Gamer says it isn’t clear how the issue occurred, but it may be related to the DLC, since each one appears to have the same file size as the base game when selected for download. Square Enix has not stated a cause.
Nine years on, still a mess
Automaton notes this is the first Steam update for NieR: Automata in five years, after one on 15 July 2021. The game itself reached Steam in March 2017, so a language patch tripping over its own DLC list is an odd way to end a long quiet spell.
We think the damage is mostly an annoyance: a 366GB prompt will scare off anyone with a modest drive, but the workaround costs a few clicks. If a download looks wrong, our guide to verifying game files on Steam is the first thing to try, and if you are short on space, you can move Steam games to another drive without redownloading them. DLC has other wrinkles on Steam too: Valve’s Achievement Sets exist to stop DLC from wrecking your 100% completion.
Our view: Steam’s install prompt is worth reading before you click, and an accidental 366GB figure is a good reminder why. Square Enix should confirm a fix soon, but until it does, uncheck the DLC and carry on.
