NetEase Games is addressing the growing file size of its live-service hero shooter Marvel Rivals with a texture compression overhaul arriving in the Season 9.5 update on August 7. The change will reduce how much space the game takes up on PC by 40GB and on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S by 15GB.
According to Polygon, Marvel Rivals currently requires about 73GB on consoles and roughly 100GB on PC. Eurogamer reports the reduction amounts to roughly a 20 percent decrease on consoles and more than a 57 percent decrease on PC. Polygon notes that after the update, the game's size will be close to or even smaller than it was at launch in 2024, when it took up about 40GB on consoles and 70GB on PC.
The overhaul was detailed in a developer video ahead of the update. GamesRadar+ quotes the game's creative director, referred to as Guangguang, explaining that 'as the Marvel Rivals universe expands with every season, so does our file size' but that 'our tech wizards have been hard at work forging solutions.' Eurogamer attributes similar remarks to creative director Guangyun Chen, who said the team is 'implementing a massive texture compression overhaul' and, per Polygon, stated the change comes 'without sacrificing a single pixel of visual fidelity.'
Both GamesRadar+ and Eurogamer note a catch: because the update completely repackages the game's assets, the initial Season 9.5 download will be larger than usual before settling into the smaller final install size. Eurogamer adds that players will need to re-download the whole package when the update goes live.
The texture overhaul arrives alongside other Season 9.5 content. GamesRadar+ and Polygon both mention the addition of a new hero, The Hood, described as a gun-wielding New York City criminal and technological genius. Polygon also notes the season will include a new wave of swimsuit skins.
Eurogamer provides additional context on the game's broader standing, noting Marvel Rivals remains one of the top-played games on Xbox and PlayStation with a steady stream of Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-in content, though a recent update introducing UI changes left some players frustrated and lowered the game's overall Steam score to 'mixed.' Eurogamer adds that the developer has been responsive to player feedback in the past, giving the community hope that issue will be addressed.