The .7z extension indicates that the file has been compressed using 7-Zip, an open-source file archiver. The 7z format is renowned for its high compression ratio, utilizing the LZMA and LZMA2 algorithms.
In the world of digital distribution, particularly outside of official channels, file size is a premium commodity. Smaller files mean faster download times for users and less bandwidth consumption for the hosts. By utilizing the 7z format, the distributor ensures that the massive amounts of data making up the game and its updates are squeezed into the smallest possible digital footprint without losing any data fidelity upon extraction. The Culture: Gnarly Repacks File: Gungeon Collection [Gnarly Repacks].7z ...
Repacking is a highly technical art form within this community. Repackers strip out redundant files, heavily compress audio and video assets, and create highly optimized installers. The goal is to make modern games, which can often exceed 50 to 100 gigabytes, as small as possible for easier sharing across peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent. Smaller files mean faster download times for users