Here is what actually happened when your client downloaded "Iteration 3.0.0." For the last five years, most AAA titles relied on "Iteration 1.x" architecture. This relied on Uber-shaders: monolithic, gigantic pieces of code that handled every texture, every light, and every surface type in one file.
Beyond the Recompile: Deconstructing the "Iteration 3.0.0 Shader Download" iteration 3.0.0 shader download
Why a shader version number matters more than a file size. Here is what actually happened when your client
In previous iterations, shaders were dumb. They waited for the CPU to say, "Okay, now render the metal. Okay, now render the skin." now render the metal. Okay