Dave the Diver Prequel Bancho the Chef Announced at State of Play
The spin-off shifts the focus from Dave's deep-sea fishing to Bancho's culinary journey, expanding the Dave the Diver universe into a cooking simulation genre.
Reporting from 5 sources: 4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress), Denfaminicogamer, Automaton, and 1 more.
MINTROCKET announced "Bancho the Chef," a prequel spin-off to "Dave the Diver," during Sony Interactive Entertainment's State of Play broadcast on June 3, 2026. The simulation game follows a young Bancho as he travels across Asia to become a top sushi chef. The reveal trailer showed Bancho cooking and washing dishes at the Japanese eatery Obata Shokudo, as well as exterminating bugs. The game is in development for PlayStation 5. No release date was given, but a wishlist option is available. The announcement was part of the June 2, 2026 State of Play livestream.
MINTROCKET unveiled "Bancho the Chef" during the State of Play livestream that aired on June 3, 2026. The game is a standalone prequel to the 2023 hit "Dave the Diver," centering on the character Bancho before his appearance in the original game. The trailer depicted Bancho learning cooking techniques at Obata Shokudo, performing kitchen chores, and dealing with pests. The game is confirmed for PlayStation 5, though a specific release window has not been announced. Sources agree that the game is a simulation title, with Automaton describing it as a game where Bancho makes sushi and washes dishes. Denfaminicogamer noted that a wishlist feature is already live, suggesting a store page has been created. The announcement was one of several made during the Sony-hosted State of Play event.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- 4Gamer.net 「デイヴ・ザ・ダイバー」のスピンオフタイトル「Bancho the Chef」が発表に。一流の寿司職人を目指す若きバンチョの旅を描く
- GAME Watch (Impress) 「デイヴ・ザ・ダイバー」前日譚！ 「BANCHO THE Cheff」発表【State of Play】
- Denfaminicogamer 『デイヴ・ザ・ダイバー』の登場人物バンチョが小畑食堂を訪れ料理を学ぶ『BANCHO THE SHEF』トレーラーが公開
- Automaton 『デイヴ・ザ・ダイバー』スピンオフ『Bancho the Chef』発表。バンチョーが寿司を作って皿を洗うシミュレーションゲーム
- Game Spark 『デイヴ・ザ・ダイバー』前日譚となる『Bancho the Chef』発表！若きバンチョがアジアを旅する【State of Play】