In the Jungle staff guide

Dave the Diver Rover: Stats, Skills, and Best Role

Rover is a high-total Bancho Grill employee built around Appeal, procurement, better tips, and dispatch. Here is where he actually earns a slot—and where another specialist is stronger.

See Rover's statsRead the FAQ
  • DLCIn the Jungle
  • Max total1,256
  • Best strengthsAppeal + Procure
Official Dave the Diver In the Jungle screenshot showing the jungle expedition team
Official In the Jungle media from the Steam store page; Rover is part of the DLC's separate Grill Staff system.

Quick verdict

Is Rover worth training?

Yes, if you want a flexible employee who can generate stronger tips during service and still contribute to ingredient dispatch. Rover reaches 1,256 total stats at maximum level, with 497 Appeal and 408 Procure as his standout numbers.

He is not the best pure cook, server, or dispatcher. Martin Tweed has much higher Cooking, William Longbottom has much higher Procure, and Charlie Bonnet III combines better Serving with strong Appeal. Rover's value is the combination: Resonance helps the dining floor, while Dispatch Master gives him a useful off-shift assignment.

That makes Rover a strong early-to-mid investment when your Grill roster is incomplete. Once every specialist is trained, use him where tips matter or as a secondary dispatcher rather than forcing him into the main cooking position.

Best practical use: Train Rover to level 5 to unlock Dispatch Master, then rotate him between a customer-facing Grill slot and dispatch according to your ingredient needs.

Verified staff data

Rover stats at base and max level

Rover starts with the highest Appeal among the listed Grill Staff and develops into a balanced utility employee rather than a single-stat specialist.
Cooking136
Serving215
Procure408
Appeal497
Total1,256
LevelCookingServingProcureAppealTotal
Base10173065122
Max1362154084971,256

Stats were checked against the community-maintained Grill Staff data on July 23, 2026. Balance values can change in later patches.

Skill breakdown

What Resonance and Dispatch Master do

Rover's two skills explain why his ideal job changes with your current bottleneck.

Resonance

Resonance increases how often Rover receives tips and raises their value while he is serving customers. It makes his high Appeal meaningful on the active Grill floor, especially when the restaurant is already stable enough to avoid missed orders.

Dispatch Master

Dispatch Master increases the items obtained through dispatch and unlocks as Rover reaches level 5. Rover's 408 max Procure supports the skill well, although William Longbottom remains the stronger dedicated expedition specialist with 684 Procure.

Official Bancho Grill gameplay screenshot with staff serving jungle customers
Official Steam screenshot of Bancho Grill service. Rover's Resonance is valuable only when his floor role does not create a cooking or serving bottleneck.

Placement guide

Where should Rover work?

Choose Rover's assignment by the problem you are trying to solve, not by his total stat alone.

Best fit

Customer-facing flex slot

Use Rover on the Grill floor when your cook and main server already cover order speed. Resonance can then convert his Appeal into extra tip income without sacrificing throughput.

Best when service is stable.

Strong backup

Secondary dispatch

Dispatch Master and 408 Procure make Rover a reliable ingredient runner. He is useful when William is busy, unavailable, or when you need more than one expedition employee.

Train to level 5 first.

Avoid

Primary cook

Rover's 136 max Cooking is too low for a main cooking position. Use Martin Tweed or another cooking specialist instead, then let Rover contribute through tips or dispatch.

Do not spend his slot here.

Roster decision

Rover vs other In the Jungle staff

Rover wins on flexibility and Appeal, while the other top employees win clearer specialist jobs.
StaffMain strengthMax totalBest useChoose them when
Rover497 Appeal / Resonance1,256Tips + backup dispatchYou need one employee to cover two jobs.
William Longbottom684 Procure1,327Dedicated expeditionsIngredient acquisition is the priority.
Charlie Bonnet III508 Appeal / 237 Serving1,212Customer floor and tipsYou want stronger direct service support.
Martin Tweed605 Cooking1,212Primary cookingGrill production is the bottleneck.
Official Dave the Diver In the Jungle underwater exploration screenshot
Official DLC screenshot. Progress the jungle story and sub-missions before troubleshooting a missing recruit.

Recruitment check

How to unlock Rover

In the Jungle has a separate Grill Staff roster. The community database confirms that one employee joins automatically and the remaining recruits come from sub-missions, but it does not yet document a reliable, named Rover quest sequence.

Because the DLC is still new, avoid guides that invent a fixed chapter, exact dialogue choice, or guaranteed day. Use the in-game sub-mission list and finish unresolved village requests before assuming your save is bugged.

  1. Install and enter the In the Jungle content pack, then advance until Bancho Grill and Grill Staff management are available.
  2. Complete jungle village sub-missions and revisit characters after story milestones.
  3. Check the Grill Staff hiring list after each completed recruitment-related request.
  4. Once Rover is hired, train him to level 5 to unlock Dispatch Master.
Verification note: We will update the quest name and exact trigger when a first-party source or reproducible community record is available.

Continue planning

Build the rest of your roster

Rover belongs to the DLC-specific Grill Staff system. Use the broader staff and DLC guides for the base restaurant and access requirements.

Dave the Diver best staff guideIn the Jungle DLC guideBest dishes and profit guideOfficial In the Jungle Steam page

Rover FAQ

Common Rover questions

Rover is one of the best flexible employees, but not the best specialist. William is better for pure procurement, Martin is better for cooking, and Charlie can be stronger for direct serving and tips.

At maximum level Rover has 136 Cooking, 215 Serving, 408 Procure, and 497 Appeal, for a total of 1,256.

The second Grill Staff skill unlocks at level 5, so Rover receives Dispatch Master after you train him to level 5.

Use Rover on the floor when your kitchen and serving speed are already stable and you want more tips. Move him to dispatch when ingredients are the bigger constraint or when William is unavailable.

No. Rover belongs to the Grill Staff system in the In the Jungle content pack, released on June 18, 2026.

Sources and checks

Where the data came from