Like a Dragon’s Ichiban Goes for a Dive in Dave the Diver DLC

Dave the Diver was a splash hit in 2023 with its gameplay that felt as endless as the ocean. Players catch fish in roguelike underwater segments, prepare a sushi diner menu and serve as one of its waiters, collect trading cards based on each kind of available fish, participate in seahorse racing, run a seaweed farm and fish farm, and much more.

It wasn’t wrong to describe Dave the Diver as the “Yakuza” or “Like a Dragon” of roguelikes thanks to its almost unending number of minigames. That description will be truer than ever starting in April 2025, when the “Ichiban’s Holiday” DLC is slated to release. 

During the PlayStation State of Play, fans got to see Ichiban, from Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and the bartender of Survive Bar visit the Blue Hole. But much like Ichiban’s escapades in Hawaii in Infinite Wealth, there’s trouble brewing in paradise.

Sparks fly between the bartender and the sushi diner head chef Bancho, and although Ichiban’s titles were the ones to move the series into a turn-based battle format, Ichiban joins Dave’s arms dealer Cobra in a beat ‘em up gameplay segment taking place in the Sea Blue gang’s hideout. 

Dave the Diver Director Jaeho Hwang shares extra details about the DLC on the official PlayStation Blog. The story of the DLC centers around the rise of “A dolphin-poaching syndicate[.]” Of course, the kind-hearted Dave and Ichiban won’t sit idly by as innocent dolphins are poached. In terms of gameplay, Hwang confirms that karaoke will be included in the update, specifically mentioning Ichiban’s performances, although we wouldn’t be against Duff the weapon enhancer getting a chance to belt out some tunes, too.

Other Yakuza/Like a Dragon series characters will be making appearances in Dave the Diver as restaurant staff recruits. Fans can see the beloved Hamako, the feisty Obatarian, and the endearing Chitose Buster Holmes lined up and ready to serve some sushi. 

Ichiban’s Holiday isn’t Dave the Diver’s first crossover. The game has been keeping players busy with Dredge, Balatro, and even Godzilla crossovers. While these crossovers all have their charms, Dave the Diver and Like a Dragon really seem like a match made in heaven. We’re elated Dave can share a vacation with Ichiban before diving into the greenery of the “In the Jungle” DLC expansion, slated to release late in 2025.