Dave the Diver developer Mintrocket has shared a “Dev Dive” vlog, reflecting on 2025 and offering fin-tastic studio updates, including a long-awaited deep dive into the upcoming “In the Jungle” DLC. 

Following the gameplay sneak peek as part of November’s Xbox Partner Preview, Mintrocket reveals that the next DLC, the most significant story expansion yet, will launch with approximately 10 hours of content. Much of this new adventure introduces fresh, surprising mechanics and systems that branch boldly away from the base game and previous DLCs. 

In “In the Jungle,” Dave heads into freshwater as he embraces new responsibilities and challenges, including befriending the locals of his and a friend’s new home base: a quaint jungle village brimming with opportunity…and just a splash of danger.

THE VILLAGE

Welcome to Utara, a jungle village where time flows in real-time. Here, Dave can spend his days freely diving underwater, gathering fruits and resources, and, naturally, building relationships with the locals by completing tasks and side quests.

As ever, Dave finds himself surrounded by potential friends (and future customers) whose trust and patronage must be earned. As relationships deepen, so too do the rewards, unlocking new opportunities throughout Utara and creating ripple effects that extend all the way to Bancho’s restaurant business.

THE RESTAURANT

One of “In the Jungle’s” biggest departures from the base game is the introduction of Bancho Grill, a brand-new restaurant in Utara featuring a fully cooked freshwater menu.

Unlike Bancho Sushi, where movement was limited, Dave can now move freely throughout the Grill, serving customers across multiple areas rather than a single horizontal plane. As Dave’s bonds with villagers grow, they’ll begin visiting Bancho Grill as diners, making the restaurant a key hub, and a vital link, between Dave and the village community.

SYSTEMS & MECHANICS

This time, Dave dives into a massive freshwater lake instead of the Blue Hole, one packed with new aquatic life, unexpected culinary options, and plenty of lurking danger. New waters demand new tools, and Mintrocket revealed Dave’s latest piece of gear: the Jungle Gun. This versatile weapon can transform into net guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, or standard firearms, allowing Dave to adapt on the fly and giving players the freedom to experiment with their preferred combat styles.

Combined with a shift from fully horizontal movement to a more free-flowing isometric view, along with real-time progression, Dave will need to carefully balance priorities and make smarter use of space and time. Expect new minigames with friends, jungle-specific adventures, and a wide variety of activities that benefit Bancho Grill, or Utara as a whole.

Dave the Diver is currently available on PlayStation 4&5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S (with support for Xbox Play Anywhere), macOS, and Windows PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. 

Dave the Diver will soon be surfacing in physical form, a true collector’s catch for both PlayStation and Nintendo fans. In partnership with Silver Lining Interactive, the game will receive a complete physical retail launch in 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. The retail edition will include the full ‘In the Jungle’ DLC expansion.

Be sure to check out this Dev Dive and then tell us what you think.