Dave the Diver is already one of the most delightful success stories of 2023, as the fishing game and restaurant management sim splashed its way up the Steam charts and won the hearts and minds of players everywhere, including many of us here at PCGamesN. Now, developer Mintrocket announces that a free update landing in mid October will introduce plenty of new features to explore, giving plenty of reasons to pull your diving gear back out once more.
Dave the Diver game director Jaeho Hwang and designer Nolan King from developer Mintrocket deliver the news as part of an October developer update for the fishing and management game. Along with discussion of the upcoming Nintendo Switch version, the pair also talk about what’s next. Speaking about the Dave the Diver August update, Hwang says, “The response we got was really positive, so we’re happy that everyone liked the update.”
As for the upcoming October update, Hwang explains, “We plan to add new missions, new species, and several systems,” all of which are covered in the video. First on the list are new missions for the Glacial area. “Compared to the previous area, the Glacial area has fewer missions since the area is mostly story-based,” he comments, “but we have added new missions in the update.”
Some new species also joining their fishy counterparts in the waters of Dave the Diver – specifically ones the team felt were missing. “We added crabs and lobsters,” King says, “but because you can’t just catch them with normal tools, we added a crab trap – you have to set up the trap and then wait a bit for the lobsters to come in.” To celebrate these crustacean sensations, there’s also the chance to throw a lobster party at your restaurant.
“Additional night-time diving content is something a lot of people have been hoping for,” Hwang remarks, explaining that there was previously a lot of overlap with the species you’d see during the day and at night. “In this update, we are adding various fish that you can only find at night.”
Another feature that’s likely to be very welcome is farm automation, meaning you won’t need to constantly return to weed, water, and harvest your crops. “Now you can request the help of Sammy to assist with farming tasks,” King explains. “If you’re far enough in the story you know what I’m talking about, and if you don’t I won’t mention anything else to avoid spoilers.” He does note that you’ll still have to visit periodically to empty your storage box, however.
Hwang comments that people have asked about potential rewards for collecting all the Marinca. “There’s going to be an update for this in the future – we cannot provide all the details right now, but we can say that you can expect to encounter a very powerful new boss.”
Another addition is the Wandering Merchant, a special VIP customer who you can make friends with by serving his requested dishes. Do so and he’ll return periodically, offering you the chance to buy various items and crops, including special secret recipes only available in this way.
More species will be able to be raised at the fish farm, including crabs, lobsters, and stargazers. You’ll be able to upgrade your seeds at Kazhin’s shop, increasing the potential yield from a harvest, and you can now buy seeds from the farm directly so you aren’t forced to travel between there and the seed shop.
A new phone operator has been added to your contacts list. “You can check your fortune for the day, or see what activities are happening at the Blue Hole,” Hwang explains. “You can also enter promotion codes here to get various prizes. The team also notes that new Dave the Diver items have been added to Valve’s Steam Points shop, should you wish to decorate your Steam profile with them.
Before signing off, there’s one final change of note – the infamous, deadly Thresher Shark, one of the most dangerous creatures in the Blue Hole’s depths, has been reined in a touch. With reduced sight range, lower pursuit speed, and slightly less damaging hits, Hwang says with a smile, “I think this update is going to save a lot of people.”
“We really hope you enjoy the variety of content that we’ve prepared,” Hwang concludes, “the update will be coming sometime in October.” There’s no set date yet, although King remarks that it will be included in the Switch version at launch, meaning it should arrive before that version’s release date of Thursday October 26.
If you’re looking for more of the most relaxing games to soothe your soul, we’ve got plenty such options for you. Alternatively, have a browse of the best indie games for lots of top-notch experiences from smaller teams.