MINTROCKET is closing the Dave the Diver update line with a final Subnautica 2 crossover DLC set for early 2027, while its spin-off Bancho the Chef remains in development for PlayStation 5 with no release date. A retail Complete Edition for PS5 released on October 8, 2026, and mobile versions launched on September 17.
MINTROCKET has spent 2026 widening Dave the Diver rather than moving on from it. In August the studio put the game on Android and iOS through Nexon, free with in-app purchases, with the DREDGE and In the Jungle DLC included. The same month, CEO Jaeho Hwang told CGDC 2026 that cumulative sales had reached 9 million units across mobile, console, and PC, and explained the design thinking behind Dave as a plain lead surrounded by stronger personalities. By September 2026 the worldwide cumulative figure had passed 10 million copies. The sales milestones and the mobile launch are the two clearest signs of how far the game has traveled since it entered early access on Steam in October 2022 and released fully in June 2023.
The studio also moved backward in its own timeline. At Sony's State of Play in June 2026, MINTROCKET announced Bancho the Chef, a prequel spin-off that follows a young Bancho across Asia as he works toward becoming a top sushi chef. The reveal trailer showed cooking, dishwashing at the eatery Obata Shokudo, and bug extermination. The game is in development for PlayStation 5, with no release date given and a wishlist option open. It is the first project in the cluster that does not center on Dave.
On the same day in October 2026, two pieces of Dave the Diver news landed. Arc System Works released a packaged Dave the Diver Complete Edition for PS5 on October 8, priced at 6,380 yen, collecting the DREDGE and Godzilla collaborations, Ichiban's Holiday with Like a Dragon's Ichiban Kasuga, the GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- rhythm game, limited weapons, and In the Jungle. The studio then announced during the Triple-i Initiative stream that the final Dave the Diver DLC is a Subnautica 2 crossover, with Dave traveling through a portal to the alien planet and the expansion set for early 2027 on Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. The update line ends on an external collaboration rather than an internal expansion.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Oct 8
MINTROCKET announced the final Dave the Diver DLC during the Triple-i Initiative showcase streamed on October 9. The expansion is a collaboration with Subnautica 2, and it is scheduled to launch in early 2027. In the DLC, protagonist Dave travels through a portal to the alien planet from Subnautica 2. Footage shown during the stream had Dave collecting underwater materials, catching fish, and meeting a Leviathan. Subnautica 2 is the next entry in the Subnautica survival series and supports co-op for up to four players. Dave the Diver mixes daytime ocean diving to catch fish with nighttime sushi restaurant management. Its worldwide cumulative sales passed 10 million copies in September 2026, and it entered early access on Steam in October 2022 before a full release in June 2023. The collaboration DLC will be available on Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Oct 8
Arc System Works released the packaged version of Dave the Diver Complete Edition for PS5 on October 8, 2026, priced at 6,380 yen. The edition collects the additional content distributed so far, including the DREDGE and Godzilla collaborations, Ichiban's Holiday with Like a Dragon's Ichiban Kasuga, a GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- rhythm game, limited weapons, and the latest content In the Jungle.
Aug 14
Nexon will release the Android and iOS versions of DAVE THE DIVER on September 17. The ocean adventure, developed by its independent studio MINTROCKET, will be free with in-app purchases. The game mixes deep-sea fishing by day with sushi restaurant management at night. The mobile version is optimized for play on phones, and DLC packs including DREDGE and In the Jungle are available as well.
Aug 6
At CGDC 2026, MINTROCKET CEO Jaeho Hwang reviewed the three years since Dave the Diver's release, revealing cumulative sales of 9 million units across mobile, console, and PC. He explained the design philosophy behind protagonist Dave, addressed a common misconception about the game being based on a true story, and detailed how supporting characters were built to complement Dave's personality.
Jun 2
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.