Game intel
Dave the Diver
Dave the Diver: Balatro is a DLC that adds content themed around the management simulation game Potion Craft.
Dave the Diver finally splashes onto Xbox One and Series X|S, and the timing isn’t the only story. Xbox players get immediate access to all the existing DLC, while everyone just got a first look at “In the Jungle,” a 2026 expansion that pulls Dave out of the Blue Hole and onto dry land. That shift has my attention because Dave’s magic has always been the day-night rhythm of serene dives and chaotic sushi rushes. Taking the action inland could either freshen the loop in a big way…or mess with what made it special.
I’ve put an embarrassing number of hours into Dave across PC and handheld, and the Blue Hole loop is still dangerously moreish. On Xbox, you’re getting the full package: the base game’s daytime dives and nighttime sushi hustle, plus three substantial DLC drops that each add a distinct flavor.
The DREDGE pack brings a spooky red fog and lets you haul in aberrations – unsettling, mutated fish that turn Bancho Sushi into an eldritch speakeasy for hooded weirdos. The Godzilla content drops a full-on kaiju chase into the ocean, an Ebirah submarine battle, and some delightfully over-the-top dishes. And “Ichiban’s Holiday” is pure crossover fun, pulling in Like a Dragon energy with new missions, minigames, and karaoke that actually feel at home in Dave’s anything-goes tone.
Better still, there’s Xbox Play Anywhere support. If you pick it up digitally, you can bounce your save between your console and the Microsoft Store version on PC without rebuying. For a game built around short loops – one dive, one sushi shift — this flexibility matters. Dave’s pacing is ideal for hopping in between matches of something sweatier or knocking out a few day-night cycles before bed.
Mintrocket is calling “In the Jungle” its biggest expansion yet, and the premise is a bold left turn: Dave teams up with jungle locals, explores a new village and a mysterious lake, and dives into freshwater zones with new fish, ingredients, friends, foes, and mini-games. That’s exciting — Dave’s sense of place is a huge part of its charm — but shifting from the Blue Hole to dry land raises design questions.
The ocean setting is more than a vibe; it’s the backbone of the game’s risk-reward loop. Oxygen management, verticality, and the way the Blue Hole mutates from day to day give the dives an almost roguelike snap. Freshwater biomes and on-foot segments could be fantastic if the team keeps that tension intact. The Godzilla DLC proved Mintrocket can go big without losing the soul of the loop, so there’s reason for optimism — but the expansion target of early 2026 means we won’t know for a while.
The silver lining to the wait: newcomers on Xbox have a ton to chew through already. Between the base story, side quests, and DLC, there are dozens of hours here. If Mintrocket uses the time to tighten the new biome and recipes around the core rhythm, Jungle could be the rare expansion that recontextualizes the whole game without drowning it in feature creep.
There’s a retail edition coming in 2026 for PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2, and it’ll include the full Jungle expansion. That’s nice for folks who prefer carts and discs, but there’s no mention of an Xbox physical release. If you’re an Xbox collector, that omission stings — and it’s worth waiting to see if Mintrocket clarifies plans before you double-dip digitally. Preorder details are still TBD.
This caught my attention because Xbox has quietly become the last stop for a lot of indie darlings, and Dave deserved to be on every box from day one. The good news is that it arrives with parity and then some. The DLC packs aren’t throwaway cosmetics; they’re proper riffs that lean into Dave’s silliness without losing the satisfying grind of better gear, bigger catches, and smoother dinner services.
My cautious take on Jungle aside, Mintrocket’s track record makes me more excited than worried. The studio’s best updates respect the loop: earn, upgrade, dive deeper, serve faster. If the jungle village, lake expeditions, and new recipes feed that loop instead of interrupting it, 2026 could be a great second wind for a game that’s already won over critics and players alike.
Dave the Diver finally lands on Xbox with all current DLC and Play Anywhere support. The big tease is the 2026 Jungle expansion that takes Dave onto dry land — a bold move that could refresh the formula or stretch it thin. Physical edition buyers on PS5/Switch 2 will get Jungle included; Xbox collectors are, for now, left waiting for clarity.
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