After Chainsword Scoop, Top Helldivers 2 Leaker Hints The TD-220 Bastion Tank Is Next

Helldivers 2 just got a fresh shot of drama from a familiar source. After going dark in October, dataminer IronS1ghts popped back up this week with a new tease: an official-looking icon for the TD-220 Bastion and a very casual 'coming soon.' If you remember the Bastion from the first game, you can probably hear the clanking already.

The leak: TD-220 Bastion

IronS1ghts dropped the icon on December 3 and framed it like the TD-220 is an upgraded take on the TD-110 Bastion from Helldivers 1. That old Bastion was technically a tank destroyer, not a tank, but nobody treated it delicately. It was a two-person vehicle that demanded coordination: one player drove and aimed the hull, the other managed the main cannon and the machine gun. When your squad clicked, it wrecked. When you were out of sync, it was a very expensive coffin.

In practice, it was a terror against bugs. Most smaller enemies barely scratched the paint. Only heavy Automaton units or Illuminate hardware could really ruin your day.

'Not sure if the model or functions are finished, but it has an icon!! The recent "slim" game branch leaked a bit more into the files than intended.'

Patch 5.0.0 quietly set the table

That 'slim' branch line matters. Patch 5.0.0 did more than tighten Helldivers 2 on PC. Arrowhead and Nixxes Software shaved the install down from a ridiculous 154GB to just 23GB. Impressive, yes, but that same optimization appears to have opened a few new doors for dataminers. The patch notes also slipped in a teasing mention of 'signals from unmonitored worlds' which, in this game, is usually dev-speak for 'brace for new toys or new problems.'

Is IronS1ghts legit?

Short answer: they have the receipts. Back in February 2025, IronS1ghts was the first to share the now-infamous chainsword silhouette. That eventually launched as the CQC-9 Defoliation Tool in the latest Python Commandos warbond. Between that and a handful of other hits, their record on big reveals is close to spotless. So yeah, when they say Bastion is imminent, I pay attention.

Where this is headed: bots now, Illuminate later

The Bastion icon was not the only nugget IronS1ghts posted this week. They also said the game is pivoting away from the just-wrapped Terminid arc (Hive World and Gloom campaigns) and toward the Automatons, with a longer runway building to the Illuminate.

'Now that the Terminids have been basically completed as of this "arc", the next big focus is the automatons! All the while building up to the illuminate. You guys will love what is planned for the days ahead. Still seems to be on the same track as I've talked about previously.'

That lines up with earlier leaks: an Automaton superweapon that gives off Death Star vibes, Factory Worlds that churn out bots, and those chrome 'Iron Fleet' Automaton variants that were datamined months ago. The 'mysterious signals' in the latest patch notes would slot neatly into that escalation.

Tier 6 ship upgrades might finally be a thing again

One more for the wishlist crowd: Tier 6 ship modules. Players have been sitting on mountains of Samples for ages. The last ship upgrade tier landed in July 2024, and since then the only meaningful sink has been Democracy Space Station votes. If IronS1ghts is right, that roughly 18-month drought is about to break. No specifics yet, just that Tier 6 is on deck.

• TD-220 Bastion: icon found, billed as 'coming soon' and positioned as a beefed-up successor to the Helldivers 1 TD-110 two-seater tank destroyer
• Patch 5.0.0: install size chopped from 154GB to 23GB with help from Nixxes Software; optimization appears to have exposed new data-mining entry points
• Tease in patch notes: 'signals from unmonitored worlds' hint at incoming content
• Story shift: Terminid arc considered wrapped (Hive World and Gloom), Automaton front becomes the new focus, with the Illuminate being set up down the line
• Previously leaked Automaton content: Death Star-style superweapon, Factory Worlds, and chrome 'Iron Fleet' variants
• Tier 6 ship modules: first real sign in ages that new upgrades are coming for all those hoarded Samples
• Credibility check: IronS1ghts nailed the chainsword leak back in Feb 2025; it launched as the CQC-9 Defoliation Tool in the Python Commandos warbond

Bottom line

If Arrowhead really is about to drop a co-op tank destroyer into the current meta while pushing the war effort toward bots, things are about to get loud. I will not pretend a two-operator vehicle will be smooth in random matchmaking, but with a coordinated squad? The TD-220 could be a menace.

What are you hoping shows up in Tier 6 ship modules, and how would you kit out a Bastion squad? Drop your best loadouts and wild guesses below.