Call of Duty is getting smaller, making it easier for users to download

There are some gaming franchises which simply go beyond the gamer-centric world. These titles expand to become part of the wider public consciousness, earning them true household name status.

That's especially true of the Call of Duty franchise. The first-person shooter is known around the world, after multiple successful iterations. The game is popular both in online multiplayer, and for its captivating campaign mode.

Now, ahead of the much-anticipated launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Activision – the brand behind the franchise – has announced a host of changes to bring the game to more users.

That includes making the file download size much smaller. The brand has taken multiple steps to reduce the size, including a mix of splitting up current downloads into selectable chunks, and using new techniques to reduce download size. The result is a trimming of hundreds of GBs.

The most notable difference is the removal of Call of Duty: Warzone from annual title downloads. That means users will have the choice of downloading individual pieces according to their preference, and coming back to download others as they require them.

The brand is also making greater use of texture streaming technology. That reduces file sizes for downloads by moving content which is less frequently used by users into a streaming cache.

The downside there is that you may see some older content appear in lower quality until the cache has fully loaded. Users will have the ability to select different settings for resolution, in order to optimise the content to their setup.

The 'Optimized' setting will display high-fidelity content, but will also use increased internet bandwidth in the process. Alternatively, users can select 'Minimal' which will offer a lower graphical quality, but will equally be less intensive.

Regardless, it's a great option for users. It should enable you to remove some of the bloatware from downloads, while also tailoring the content to operate more effectively on your chosen setup. Black Ops 6 launches on 25 October 2024.