DAVE THE DIVER DLC ‘In the Jungle’ details new village, restaurant, and gameplay systems

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MINTROCKET has published a new “Developer Dive” video about DAVE THE DIVER. The video looks back at 2025, provides studio news, and offers a detailed look at the upcoming downloadable content, “In the Jungle,” which will be released in early 2026.

Here are the details:

■ Downloadable Content “In the Jungle”

After a first look during November’s Xbox Partner Preview, Mintrocket announced that their next downloadable content will be their biggest story expansion so far, offering around 10 hours of gameplay. This new adventure features exciting and unique mechanics, taking the game in a fresh direction compared to the original game and previous expansions.

In “In the Jungle,” Dave ventures into a freshwater environment and takes on new roles and challenges. He builds relationships with the people in a charming jungle village – a place full of potential, but with a hint of risk – that he and a friend now call home.

The Village

I’m so excited about Utara! It’s this amazing jungle village where everything happens in real-time, which is so cool. As Dave, I get to spend my days exploring – diving, collecting stuff, and just generally living in this world. The best part is getting to know the villagers by helping them out with tasks and little adventures. It feels really immersive!

Dave is once again meeting new people who could become both friends and customers, and he needs to build trust with them. As these connections grow stronger, so do the benefits, opening up possibilities across the region of Utara and even helping Bancho’s restaurant thrive.

The Restaurant

A major addition in “In the Jungle” is Bancho Grill, a new restaurant in Utara that serves a complete menu of freshwater dishes.

Unlike his previous job at Bancho Sushi, where he was stuck in one spot, Dave can now move around the entire Bancho Grill, serving customers everywhere. As Dave gets to know the villagers, they’ll start coming to the Grill to eat, making it a central meeting place and strengthening his connection to the community.

Systems and Mechanics

Okay, so Dave’s back, and this time he’s exploring a huge freshwater lake instead of the ocean’s Blue Hole! It’s full of crazy new creatures, some really interesting food, and, of course, a lot of things trying to eat him. But the coolest part? They showed off his new weapon, the Jungle Gun. Seriously, this thing is amazing! It can switch between a net gun, shotgun, sniper rifle, or even just a regular gun, so you can totally customize how you play and find the combat style that works best for you. It’s giving me so much freedom to experiment!

Okay, so the game’s getting a big overhaul! They’re ditching the old side-scrolling movement for a cool isometric view – think more freedom to move around. Plus, things are happening in real-time now, which means I’ll really have to think about how I manage my time and resources. I’m excited to see new minigames I can play with my friends, and a bunch of jungle-themed quests. All this is to help boost Bancho Grill, or even the whole town of Utara, so it’s good to know my actions actually matter!

■ DAVE THE DIVER Mobile

Wrapping up their latest development update, Mintrocket announced that DAVE THE DIVER is coming to mobile devices through a partnership. This won’t just be a basic copy of the game – it will be completely reworked and optimized for a smooth experience on phones and tablets. They showed off a feature where players can tilt their device to pour tea as an example. DAVE THE DIVER will launch on mobile in China first, with a worldwide release planned for later in 2026.

You can now play DAVE THE DIVER on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Watch the latest “Developer Dive” video below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Developer Dive: Latest “In the Jungle” News, 2025 Recaps, and More!

Screenshots

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2025-12-19 17:02