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Marvel Rivals Storage Optimisation Arrives With Season 9.5
NetEase Games is giving Marvel Rivals a major storage optimisation with the launch of Season 9.5, reducing the game’s overall install size across PC and consoles. As live-service games continue growing with new heroes, cosmetics, maps, modes, and seasonal updates, install size has become a familiar frustration for players.
Marvel Rivals is no exception, especially for those juggling multiple multiplayer games on limited SSD space. Season 9.5 is aiming to ease that pressure. According to NetEase’s latest developer video, the update introduces a large texture compression overhaul that reduces the game’s storage footprint while keeping the same visual quality.
PC Players Get the Biggest File Size Reduction
The biggest improvement is coming to PC. NetEase says PC players can expect the final Marvel Rivals install size to shrink by around 40GB once the Season 9.5 update is fully installed. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players will also benefit, with console versions expected to become around 15GB smaller.
That is a meaningful reduction for a modern team-based PvP shooter, particularly one built around regular seasonal content drops. The studio says the compression work should not come at the cost of image quality or the game’s overall visual presentation.
For players who have had to clear space before every major patch, this should be one of the more practical quality-of-life improvements the game has received so far.
The Update Download Will Be Larger Than Usual
There is one catch: the Season 9.5 download itself will be larger than a normal update. NetEase explains that this is because many game assets need to be repackaged before the older files can be replaced. In other words, players may need extra room during the update process before they see the final storage reduction.
That could make the patch awkward for players who are already close to their storage limit. However, once the update finishes, the game should take up much less space than before.
While the storage optimisation is the most immediately useful change, Season 9.5 is not only a technical update. The mid-season patch also brings new content, including The Hood as the latest playable character. Still, the file size reduction may end up being the change that more players notice before even loading into a match.
It is also the kind of update that matters more over time. Smaller installs make it easier for players to keep Marvel Rivals installed between seasons instead of deleting it whenever storage gets tight.
A Smart Fix for a Growing Live-Service Game
The timing makes sense. Marvel Rivals has been expanding steadily, and that kind of growth can quickly turn into a storage problem if left unchecked. By addressing file size directly, NetEase is showing that long-term maintenance is not just about balancing heroes or adding new skins. It is also about keeping the game convenient to install, update, and return to.
Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 launches on August 7 across supported platforms.
