The headline numbers
The studio says the game is 145 GB once installed, and that you need "at least 300 GB of free disk space for the pre-load process." PC Gamer relays this from the game's X account. That is about 155 GB of headroom beyond the final footprint. That is roughly double the final install size.
The 300 GB figure is not the permanent install size. Techgenyz makes the same point: S-Game does not say the game will permanently occupy 300 GB.
Why the gap exists
The coverage differs on how well the reason is explained.
- PC Gamer describes the extra space as temporary room for preload decompression.
- Club386 reports that S-Game's own explanation is that temporary files and the complete game files must coexist during the unlock process. Club386 adds that once that completes, the install size drops to around 145 GB.
- iXBT.games and Techgenyz, in the text I could read, say the developer did not give an exact technical reason. Explosion and Techtroduce say the same.
These accounts are compatible. The developer's explanation, as relayed by Club386, is the most specific one. Some outlets are working from less complete excerpts of the announcement. I could not open the original X post, so I am relying on these secondary reports of it.
Planning your drive
PC players should check free space on the specific drive they plan to install to, not the combined free space across their PC. One guide, hone.gg, makes this point. It says to check the drive you intend to use, not the combined free space across your PC. No source I read says free space spread across several drives can satisfy the requirement.
Some practical points:
- Use an SSD. Both the minimum and recommended tiers list one, and the reporting says mechanical hard drives are not supported at any tier.
- Clear 300 GB on that drive before you start. If you only free enough for 145 GB, you could stall partway through.
- Consider a non-system drive. Club386 reports that S-Game advises against installing on the C: drive, to reduce the impact of system disk activity on frame rate stability.
- Update graphics drivers. PC Gamer says the studio told players to install the latest drivers before launch. No specific driver version was given.
Do not treat 145 GB as a measured network download size. Hone.gg points out that the figure isn't a measured compressed download size, and doesn't tell you how much data your connection will transfer or how long unlocking will take. I found no confirmed answer on whether a non-preload install avoids the 300 GB peak. I also found nothing on how each storefront handles the temporary files.
Timing
Dates differ by outlet and time zone. PC Gamer says the preload starts October 26 and gives the launch date as October 28. Techgenyz converts the preload start to 7:30 AM IST on October 27, and the launch to October 29 in India. Its explanation is that the schedule is 7 PM PDT on October 26 for preload and 7 PM PDT on October 28 for launch. Several other outlets give October 29 as the launch date. The two dates look like time-zone conversions of the same schedule, so check your own storefront for the local unlock time.
System requirements
Both tiers need 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, 16 GB of RAM, DirectX 12 and an SSD. The iXBT.games and Beebom listings agree on this.
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Core i7-8700K or Ryzen 5 3600 | Core i5-10600K or Ryzen 5 5600X |
| GPU | GTX 1660 6 GB or RX 5500 XT 8 GB | RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB or RX 6700 XT 12 GB |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 145 GB, SSD | 145 GB, SSD |
| Target | 1080p, 30 fps, upscaling on | 1440p, 60 fps, upscaling on |
Ray tracing and path tracing are disabled in both tiers. Techgenyz reports that S-Game also lists higher GPU tiers for those features. It cites an RTX 5060 8 GB for ray tracing at 1080p/60 fps and an RTX 5080 16 GB for path tracing at 2160p/60 fps, with upscaling on in both. Techgenyz says no separate CPU or RAM requirements were given for those tiers. It also says the full requirements were first published on August 12, so this week's news is mainly the storage figures.
Caveats on the performance targets
- PC Gamer notes that the graphics settings and upscaling method behind the targets are unspecified. It also says it does not know which upscaler is used.
- Club386 observes that the GTX 1660 has no Tensor cores, so it cannot run DLSS. That card would be limited to AMD's FSR.
- These are developer-listed targets, not tested results. Treat them as such until launch benchmarks arrive.
Is 145 GB a red flag?
Not on its own. The sources report capacity and do not investigate why the files are so large. Big installs are common for modern Unreal Engine 5 games, and the CPU and GPU requirements are modest. A large footprint says little about performance. The more useful lesson is the one the preload number teaches: with games this size, the space you need during setup can be well above the number on the store page.
Bottom line
- The game is 145 GB installed, and the preload wants at least 300 GB free.
- An SSD is required, and the extra space is temporary.
- Check the free space on the target drive and update your GPU drivers before the preload opens.
- Treat the 1080p/30 and 1440p/60 figures as upscaled targets, not guarantees.