Call of Duty Vanguard preload now live, and it's surprisingly small

A smaller file size, but will it stay that way?

What you need to know

• Call of Duty Vanguard is the latest entry in the series, releasing on November 5, 2021.
• The game's download size we have seen for a while from the series, clocking in at just 61GB on Xbox Series X consoles.
• Preload is now live on all available platforms, your file size may vary.

Call of Duty Vanguard, the latest entry in Activision's military shooter series, makes its way to consoles and PC on Nov. 5, 2021. The franchise has gained a reputation for its staggering file sizes over recent years, with Call of Duty Cold War taking up almost 230GB of system space and Modern Warfare (2019) clocking in at 150GB. It seems the publisher has finally taken on board feedback and wrangled those files, providing a more modest total with Call of Duty Vanguard.

According to the official Activision blog post, the preload for the game began on the evening of Oct. 28. Users are reporting a variety of sizes, with users on Reddit stating a file sizes up to 72.6GB. We have confirmed a preload size of 61.1GB on our own Xbox Series X systems, but your sizes may vary depending on the console and other factors.

The reduction in file size is a step in the right direction for Activision when you consider how storage space on next-gen consoles is limited as it is, and expanding Xbox Series X|S storage can be quite heavy on your pocket.

The smaller file size can be attributed to improvements in streaming technology that helps make the experience possible. While the technical achievement should be welcomed among fans, many still have reservations, as the game receives future updates. It's normal for a game that starts with a smaller file size to balloon into a larger beast with the passage of time.

You can now preload the game on your console of choice, but PC preload will begin on November 2nd through Battle.net. The game launches on all platforms on Nov. 5, 2021.

Jump into WW2 again

Call of Duty: Vanguard — Standard Edition

$60 at Microsoft $60 at Amazon $60 at Best Buy

If you haven't upgraded

If you're still on the older line of consoles and don't think you'll be upgrading soon, you can save a bit of money by going for the Standard Edition. This copy also works on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles.