Helldivers 2’s OP New Tank Feels Like the Calm Before the Storm

Helldivers 2 has brought one of its first big upgrades of the year to players with the TD-220 Bastion MK XVI. It’s a hulking tank that brings a ridiculous amount of firepower to fights. The Bastion is overpowered in the best way, making it one of the most exciting Stratagems to be added to Helldivers 2 in a long time. Last year, there were leaks claiming that a tank would eventually come to Helldivers 2, and it looks like that day has finally arrived.

Armed with a heavy machine gun and 120mm high-velocity cannon, the Bastion holds a lot of ammo. Not only that, but it can also support up to four Helldivers. A driver and gunner are the minimal amount needed to make the tank function properly, but two passengers who can use their personal arsenal give Helldivers 2‘s Bastion tank an extra punch. It’s one of the strongest and most effective Stratagems available now, but it could also be paving the way for something even bigger down the road. Recently, Arrowhead Game Studios has started teasing the possibility of megamaps, and the Bastion feels like the perfect vehicle for this kind of battle.

The Bastion Tank Will Be Essential if Helldivers 2 Makes Megamaps a Reality

It’s important to make clear that megamaps haven’t officially been confirmed, but Arrowhead Game Studios is, at the very least, definitely interested in the idea. The studio’s Chief Creative Officer, Johan Pilestedt, revealed in a recent Discord Q&A that the team behind Helldivers 2 is more interested in expanding the game instead of simply making a sequel. This is when Pilestedt revealed the potential for Helldivers 2 megamaps. When going over features that would bring the game to the next level, he said, “Eight-player missions would be one of those. Larger open-world maps where you maybe come across other Helldiver teams to then take on bigger challenges together. Operations that affect other teams, as well, would be those kinds of level of features.”

That would be a massive change to the Helldivers 2 formula, but it’s an incredibly intriguing one. Large-scale maps that bring eight players to the mix would require more strategy on the battlefield. Not only that, but vehicles would become more necessary than ever. Helldivers 2‘s vehicles have slowly been added to the game over time, but the Bastion tank feels like a turning point.

Every Vehicle in Helldivers 2 So Far

• M-102 Fast Recon Vehicle
• TD-220 Bastion MK XVI
• EXO-45 Patriot
• EXO-49 Emancipator

Helldivers 2’s Bastion Tank May Be the Start of Something Big

The Bastion has already proven that it’s one of the most useful Helldivers 2 Stratagems that the game has seen, but other hulk-sized vehicles could follow if megamaps happen. Different varieties of tanks or even drivable airborne vehicles could pad out the roster. Beyond that, using the Bastion in a megamap battle would be ideal for strategy. Pilestedt mentioned that these proposed larger fights would support up to eight players. With the Bastion holding four, one-half of the team could be in charge of that heavy firepower while the other half fights on foot. It would add a deeper layer of teamwork, which could prove to be the extra dose of challenge that makes Helldivers 2 even stronger.

2026 Looks Like It’s Going to Be a Big and Bloody Year For Helldivers 2

Arrowhead Game Studios has continued to be secretive about its future plans for Helldivers 2, but that hasn’t stopped some developers from teasing players. Recently, CEO Shams Jorjani claimed that “a lot of Helldivers will die” this year. At the time, this message was incredibly cryptic. However, players are getting their first taste of what Jorjani meant by these words. Helldivers 2‘s Machinery of Oppression update brings Cyborgs to the game for the first time, expanding the threat to managed democracy.

The fight for Cyberstan is the next big centerpiece for Helldivers 2 to explore, but that may only be the tip of the iceberg. There’s also the possibility that the Illuminate could come back stronger than ever. Even more terrifying, a brand-new fourth faction in Helldivers 2 could make its debut. Because of Arrowhead Game Studios’ tendency to keep players on their toes, there’s no telling what will be in store for fans this year. The fight for Cyberstan is a great way to kick off the year, but there is bound to be even more on the way.

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Right Now, the Wait For Helldivers 2’s Megamaps Continues

If megamaps became an actual thing, it would be a wonderfully chaotic turning point for Helldivers 2. Ever since its launch, the game has continued to evolve in order to keep players’ attention. Megamaps would be something next-level, though. Now that Helldivers 2 is on Xbox, PS5, and PC, the game’s ranks are even bigger. With a larger player base and the potential to even be ported to the Switch 2, megamaps seem inevitable. Doubling the squad size and adding open-world-inspired maps to the recipe would definitely be a challenge to balance correctly. But vehicles like the Bastion tank have the jaw-dropping strength and destruction to help achieve that balance.

It will probably be a little while before Arrowhead Game Studios announces megamaps, if at all, but the potential for Helldivers 2 to be expanded in this way is thrilling. Each Helldivers 2 update brings something new to the battlefield, and only time will tell if that battlefield will be stretched to double its size. If this happens, it probably won’t be until later in the year or maybe even next year. There are a lot of cool ways that Arrowhead Game Studios could keep Helldivers 2 thriving, so it’s important not to unleash all its tricks at once. Megamaps are an ambitious upgrade that would require a lot of time to perfect before launch. Even if it takes a year or two for large-scale maps to arrive, the extra care given to their development would make it worth the wait.

Released

February 8, 2024

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact

Developer(s)

Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing