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Dave the Diver’s Giant Jungle DLC Is Shaking Up Everything—And Yes, There’s Animal Crossing Vibes
December 20, 2025Dave the Diver is about to get its deepest expansion yet: Mintrocket’s unveiling of the In The Jungle DLC hints at a sharp left turn for the undersea adventure. New mechanics, new perspectives, and big gameplay swings are all packed into a meaty ten-hour campaign, starting with village life and real-time systems that feel straight out of Animal Crossing.
There’s no launch date yet (expect it sometime in 2026, following a delay earlier this year), but the latest developer vlog gives a detailed taste of what’s coming. If you thought running a sushi restaurant was Dave’s final act, think again. This time, he’s trading the waves for wetlands.
A Village Full of Personality—And Peril
The heart of the DLC is the jungle village of Utara. Unlike anything in the base game, Utara moves in real time. Day and night actually mean something; the pace slows, inviting you to put down your speargun (for a little) and get to know your neighbours. You’ll gather resources, take on quests, and build relationships with villagers, with everything viewed from a new isometric perspective. The cosy loop here has clear echoes of Animal Crossing, but with Dave’s distinctive charm, and way more crocodiles.
That’s not just window dressing. These are not passive NPCs. Befriending villagers blends directly into the rest of your adventure. Help them out, and not only do you build stronger bonds, but you’ll see them swing by your restaurant, the Bancho Grill, for a bite after a hard day’s work.
Introducing the Bancho Grill, and All New Dangers
Forget sushi. The Bancho Grill is all about freshwater fare you can’t eat raw. This is a full-on grillhouse, and you’re free to move around it in ways the original never allowed. With its open layout and real-time rhythm, every service feels less like a minigame and more like running a living, breathing business. Friendly faces from the village will pile in, and you’ll need to keep everyone happy while navigating new recipes and cooking styles.
Beyond the village, the lake itself is a beast. It’s teeming with creatures you won’t find out at sea, think hungry piranhas and aggressive crocodiles. Hunting just got more complicated, and survival is higher on the menu than ever before. To tackle the increased threat, Dave’s packing a brand new weapon: the Jungle Gun. This versatile tool can swap between a net gun, shotgun, sniper rifle, and more. It’s not just combat for the sake of it; every modification gives you creative options on how to approach the jungle’s wildest challenges.
The DLC promises a heady blend of new gameplay and minigames, expanding the original’s fishing-restaurant loop into a broader management and adventure sim. Mintrocket looks set to push the formula in ways that will surprise even longtime fans.
Dave the Diver is also making a push onto new platforms. The base game just landed on Xbox consoles following its debut at the Xbox Partner Preview, so it’s now out on PC (Steam, Epic), PlayStation (PS4 and PS5), Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. And next year, a mobile version rolls out; first in China, then globally, with fully optimised controls designed to work with touchscreens.
Mintrocket’s willingness to experiment is on full display. “In The Jungle” is ambitious, weirdly cosy, and riskier than most DLC drops. If you’ve already charted every corner of the Blue Hole, get ready: the real adventure is about to start inland.
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