Dave the Diver is a modest game that has expanded like Dave’s belt size. The underwater adventure and restaurant management sim mash-up was a surprise hit, and has since spawned crossover efforts with fishing game Dredge, the kaiju Godzilla, and even Ichiban Kasuga of the Like A Dragon series. Now the game is preparing to dive back in with the In The Jungle expansion in early 2026. The DLC will see Dave and his crew heading to a new freshwater biome and catching lake-dwelling creatures to make their dishes. GameSpot spoke with Mintrocket CEO and Dave the Diver game director Jaeho Hwang about the upcoming expansion, how the studio has responded to the game’s success, and the delicious research that goes into making a game all about food.
GameSpot: What was the genesis of the “In the Jungle” concept? What was the team trying to achieve with this new biome?
Jaeho Hwang: In Dave the Diver, we felt we had done a fair job showcasing the mystique of the ocean, so we wanted to explore a completely different world this time.
The jungle biome was something we had been eager to try since the early days of developing Dave the Diver. We couldn’t include fascinating freshwater creatures like alligators or piranhas before, and players have been asking for them a lot. You may have seen massive, fierce fish like catfish or tigerfish in documentaries or on YouTube. We thought it would be fun for Dave to catch and battle these kinds of creatures.
Besides the lake, we also plan to bring the jungle’s diverse wildlife and insects to the game. You’ll see Dave chasing wild butterflies or even getting attacked by monkeys.
Did you learn any lessons from the main campaign and previous DLCs that you’ve applied to this one?
Hwang: Rather than simply expanding the main game experience like most DLCs do, our goal was to create a DLC that offers a completely different experience. Of course, we’ve kept the fun core elements of management and exploration from the main game, but beyond that, we aim to deliver that enjoyment through new systems. Expanding the game using the original systems and mechanics will continue through other DLCs or updates, while In the Jungle DLC focuses on introducing new experiences and experimental systems. We are trying to distinguish and offer two different concepts.
For example, in this DLC, time flows in real time at the village. There are also gathering and crafting elements. Unlike the original game where the story has linear progression and the NPCs appear automatically, Dave will need to actively approach and talk to them this time. Of course, there still are unique guests who show up unexpectedly.
Maintaining the entertainment of the original game while presenting it in a new way is as challenging as creating an entirely new game. The development process has certainly been difficult, but we’re continuously improving the quality and believe we would be able to present a satisfying experience to our players when the DLC launches.
What kind of research goes into developing new underwater biomes and sushi recipes? Trips to the aquarium and great sushi restaurants?
Hwang: This time, since the theme is freshwater fish, the main dishes will surprisingly be grilled fish instead of sushi!
[That may] sound a bit reckless for us to remove one of the most beloved elements. But that’s actually why we’re releasing this as a DLC rather than a full sequel. A sequel would need to preserve and build upon the appealing elements of the original game.
When we design new regions or ecosystems, I try to experience the atmosphere firsthand as much as possible. For the jungle environment, I drew a lot of inspiration from a trip to Indonesia–although I didn’t get the chance to dive into a lake.
Most of the dishes in Dave the Diver are fictional, but many team members love scuba diving and often share food experiences from their travels, which we incorporate into the game. We also had team gatherings at the aquarium to observe fish behavior in real life.
For In the Jungle DLC, we referenced some fish directly from our office aquarium, including discus and snakehead.
The new lake setting would seem to make a big difference to the types of fish available. Does it impact other aspects of the underwater segments?
Hwang: As shown in the trailer, the biggest change is the introduction of creatures like alligators and catfish.
There are also differences in the resources you can gather underwater at the lake. For example, since it’s not the ocean, you won’t be collecting coral or starfish.
In this DLC, we’ve reduced the randomness of obtaining weapons underwater and instead focused on upgrading the equipment in various forms in the village. You’ll also find new weapons tailored to the region.
The lake in the DLC actually starts off polluted due to a certain incident, and there are some elements triggered from this. It can also be purified through a certain process.
I can’t reveal a whole lot just yet, but there are also some gimmicks from ancient civilization elements found in the lake.
How do you approach paid vs free DLC updates?
Hwang: Dave the Diver has been far more successful than we have expected, so we’ve tried to provide as much content as possible for free. So far–aside from the Like a Dragon collaboration–everything, including the Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade, has been offered at no cost. Our players have been supporting us with incredible passion, and we’ve never felt that this approach has caused us any loss.
However, In the Jungle DLC content would be around 10 hours of gameplay and we’ve put in a significant amount of development effort behind this. For this reason, it will be released as paid add-on content. We’ve heard some disappointment from our community regarding the high price of the Like a Dragon DLC ($6.99) compared to its volume, so this time we’re committed to setting a fair price and delivering content that exceeds expectations in quality as we have done in the past.
How has the game’s success impacted your process for handling DLC? Did you add more post-launch plans once it took off or was the plan always to provide this much post-launch support?
Hwang: As a director, I’ve always dreamt that if the base game succeeded, we would have the chance to expand its universe through collaborating with other games. Thankfully, Dave the Diver’s success gave us the opportunity to work with many amazing IPs–and even bring some of my personal favorites, like Godzilla and Ichiban Kasuga, into our world.
Jungle-themed DLC was always part of our plan, but it would have been difficult to commit to it if the game hadn’t received such a positive response. I want to take this chance to thank our players for giving us the opportunity to keep moving forward.
Even after the In the Jungle DLC, I have some fun crossover and content ideas that I’d love to pursue. I can’t reveal anything just yet, but I hope there will be another chance to share them someday through GameSpot.