Mintrocket’s free final Dave the Diver DLC is a Subnautica 2 crossover set on Proteus. Here is what is confirmed, which platforms are named, and whether it is worth returning for.
Image: bonus-action.com
Dave’s last announced detour is a free Subnautica 2 crossover
Mintrocket has announced that Dave the Diver’s final DLC will be a free Subnautica 2 crossover launching in early 2027, a collaboration that sends Dave and Bancho away from the Blue Hole and into the ocean moon Proteus. The pack was revealed during the October 2026 Triple-i Initiative Showcase, according to Eurogamer and Bonus Action, with Mintrocket working alongside Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment.
That “final DLC” label is the sharp edge of the news. Dave the Diver has spent the past few years turning its compact loop of diving, collecting, cooking, and restaurant service into a surprisingly flexible crossover machine. Now Mintrocket is closing that run with the underwater franchise players probably expected to see eventually, but with a twist: this is tied specifically to Subnautica 2, not only to the broader Subnautica name.
The confirmed title circulating through coverage is the Dave the Diver x Subnautica 2 Content Pack. Eurogamer reports that the crossover is already available to wishlist on Steam, while Nintendo Everything says it is headed to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in early 2027. Other outlets report a wider platform plan, but the platform picture is not entirely uniform across the current source material, which matters for players deciding whether to reinstall now or wait for their storefront to catch up.
What the Dave the Diver final DLC actually adds
The Subnautica 2 crossover takes Dave and Bancho to Proteus, described in the announcement materials as a mysterious ocean-covered moon. Nintendo Everything’s source text says players will explore beneath the surface, make new discoveries, and help new friends along the way. Eurogamer adds that Dave and Bancho travel to a new dimension after exhausting the species and sushi possibilities of their own.
The practical additions sound built around Dave the Diver’s familiar rhythm rather than a genre transplant. Noisy Pixel reports that the expansion introduces marine creatures and resources from Proteus, with Dave and Bancho gathering unfamiliar ingredients to prepare new dishes. That is the important part for returning players: the crossover is not being presented as a separate side mode or a cosmetic drop. The announced ingredients, creatures, friends, and recipes all point back to the core loop that made Dave work in the first place.
There is also danger in the water. Noisy Pixel reports that Leviathans, the enormous creatures associated with Subnautica, will appear periodically throughout the expansion. Eurogamer also says Dave will run into Subnautica 2’s iconic Leviathan. The sources do not confirm boss mechanics, chase sequences, base building, survival meters, or any equivalent to Subnautica’s full first-person survival structure, so those should be treated as open questions rather than assumed features.
Why Subnautica 2 fits Dave better than most crossovers
Dave the Diver’s crossover history has been eclectic. ThisisLevelUp lists DREDGE, Godzilla, Ichiban’s Holiday from Like a Dragon, and Guilty Gear Strive among content included in the newly launched physical editions. Eurogamer also notes past crossover names including Balatro, Yakuza, Godzilla, and Guilty Gear. That range is part of the game’s charm, but it also means every collaboration has to prove it belongs inside Dave’s very specific clockwork of diving by day and feeding hungry customers by night.
Subnautica 2 has the cleanest mechanical bridge of the bunch. Both games revolve around underwater discovery, creature recognition, resource collection, and the push-pull between curiosity and danger. The difference is tone. Eurogamer points out that Dave the Diver and Subnautica sit at opposite ends of the tonal spectrum despite sharing deep-sea exploration as a mechanic. Dave turns the unknown into a playful workday. Subnautica turns the unknown into dread, vulnerability, and survival planning.
Mintrocket studio director Jaeho Hwang framed that contrast as the point of the collaboration. In a statement quoted by Noisy Pixel and TechRaptor, Hwang said the team wanted its final DLC to feel “especially meaningful” and said a Subnautica collaboration was something players had been asking about “for a long time.” He added that Subnautica has “such a distinct approach to underwater exploration,” giving the teams a chance to bring “a new wave” to Dave the Diver. Subnautica 2 creative director Anthony Gallegos, quoted by Eurogamer and Noisy Pixel, called the expansion “a love letter to both Dave the Diver and the Subnautica universe.”
Platforms, price, and the storefront details still to watch
The cleanest confirmed detail is price: multiple sources, including Eurogamer, Noisy Pixel, TheXboxHub, and DayOne, describe the Subnautica 2 Content Pack as free. The release window is also consistent across the coverage: early 2027.
Platforms require more careful reading. Nintendo Everything specifically reports that the DLC is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch. Noisy Pixel lists Dave the Diver’s current availability across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC. TheXboxHub’s page text says the free pack is coming to Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC in early 2027, while DayOne says it is coming across PC and console platforms but adds that there is no word on mobile yet. Bonus Action similarly says the crossover will release across current platforms in early 2027.
Taken together, the strongest reading is that Mintrocket is positioning the DLC broadly across PC and consoles, but the sources provided do not include individual platform store pages for every version. If you play on Switch or Switch 2, Nintendo Everything’s platform-specific report gives you a clear signal. If you play on PlayStation or Xbox, the current reporting points in your direction, but it is still worth waiting for the relevant store listing or Mintrocket platform post before making plans around a specific date. For mobile players, DayOne explicitly says no mobile announcement has been made.
The physical edition timing creates a small buyer trap
The Dave the Diver physical edition story landed on the same date as the Subnautica 2 DLC news, which could easily confuse collectors. According to ThisisLevelUp, Dave the Diver physical editions launched October 8, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, published through Silver Lining Interactive and Mintrocket. The release includes a Complete Edition priced at $49.99 and a Collector’s Edition priced at $79.99, based on the publisher announcement cited by the outlet.
Those packages gather a large chunk of Dave’s existing content. ThisisLevelUp reports that both physical editions include the base game, In the Jungle DLC, DREDGE DLC, Godzilla DLC, Ichiban’s Holiday DLC, Guilty Gear Strive DLC, and a digital soundtrack. The Collector’s Edition adds physical extras such as a Bancho Sushi acrylic standee, pins, a keyring, a pendant necklace, Marinca cards, a poster, and postcards.
The Subnautica 2 Content Pack is not listed among that included physical edition content in the source text, and it is scheduled for early 2027 rather than launch day for the boxed release. Since the DLC is reported as free, that may not become a cost issue, but buyers should not assume the Dave the Diver physical edition contains the final crossover on disc or cartridge unless Silver Lining Interactive or Mintrocket separately confirms the update path. For preservation-minded collectors, that distinction matters.
Should you return to Dave the Diver for this crossover?
If you bounced off Dave the Diver after finishing the main story, the Subnautica 2 crossover has the best possible hook for a return: it changes the waters while keeping the job. The announced pieces all feed the existing structure, from new creatures and resources to new recipes and characters who need help. That is where Dave tends to be strongest. Its best additions give players fresh reasons to dive, then send the results back through Bancho’s kitchen and the restaurant economy.
Players hoping for Dave to become Subnautica should keep expectations grounded. The sources confirm Proteus, Leviathans, strange creatures, valuable resources, new discoveries, new friends, and new dishes. They do not confirm Subnautica-style base construction, oxygen-management overhaul, crafting trees, vehicle progression, or a survival sandbox inside Dave the Diver. The likely appeal is contrast: Dave’s snappy 2D routines brushing against Subnautica’s larger, stranger ocean identity.
For lapsed players, the best move is simple. If you already own Dave the Diver on a confirmed or likely supported platform, the reported free price removes most of the risk, so it is worth watching for the early 2027 date and maybe clearing unfinished DLC before Proteus opens. If you are a newcomer choosing between digital and the new boxed release, the physical editions now package a lot of earlier crossover history on PS5 and Switch 2, but the final Subnautica 2 crossover should be treated as a future free update until platform holders and publishers spell out exactly how it will be delivered.