Overgrowth
Published on July 21, 2026 · by Jochem ten Hove
Version 1.8 Ancient Update
The Ancient Update has arrived! Discover the mysterious Ruins Map, the Overgrowth Ability, the Druid Boss, and more.
The Ancient Update has finally grown into July! This mysterious update brings a huge wave of new content, from a hidden Ruins Map deep in the forest to a boss fight that takes over the jungle.
What's new?
- New Ruins Map: a mysterious spot deep in the forest
- New Overgrowth Ability: spawns vines that defeat monkeys on touch
- New Druid Boss: drains energy from fruits and heals itself
- New Rock Thrower Monkey: throws rocks to damage fruits
- Second Ability Slot added for Survival & Boss Rush game modes
- New Scenery: Rose Ruins Scenery for the new Ruins Map
- New MonkeySkins: Rose Druid & Mossy Rock Thrower
- 4 new Profile Icons
- 5 new additional experience levels up to Level 25
- Improved Co-op & Versus performance and stability
- General stability and visual improvements
New Ruins Map
Deep in the forest, I uncovered a mysterious spot that fits this update perfectly. The Ruins Map feels older, darker, and more dangerous than anything you've seen in Monkey Wave so far. Broken stone paths, tangled roots, and hidden routes make the stage feel abandoned, but not empty.
Buried within those ruins is a mysterious boss that seems to be protecting the area. The fight is not just about damage output: you have to survive a living jungle that keeps reclaiming the stone around it. The Druid Boss is the true heart of this update, slowly draining the energy from your fruit while the battle escalates.
To complete the atmosphere, I also added a new Rose Ruins Scenery that brings the mysterious roots of this place even more to life.
New Overgrowth Ability
The new Overgrowth Ability lets nature fight back. It spawns vines that sweep across the battlefield and defeat monkeys the moment they touch them.
This ability changes how you approach boss fights and chaotic runs. In Survival and Boss Rush, you now also get a second ability slot so you can experiment with even more combinations.
New Druid Boss
The Druid Boss brings a new threat to the heart of the jungle. It drains energy from fruits to heal itself, so every mistake during the fight matters.
It is a boss that forces you to keep moving and keep pressure on at all times. The longer the fight lasts, the more dangerous it becomes, which makes it one of the most memorable encounters in the Ancient Update.
New Rock Thrower Monkey
On top of that, there is the new Rock Thrower Monkey, an enemy that hurls rocks at your team and puts your fruit under pressure as soon as the fight begins. This enemy feels like a natural extension of the ruins: rough, aggressive, and built to cause chaos.
It gives the new map an extra layer of danger and makes the Ancient Update feel even more alive.
New Skins
I added two skin variants to give this update even more personality. The new Rose Druid and Mossy Rock Thrower are the standouts and fit the ruins theme perfectly.
Rose Druid
A blooming, mysterious variant that fits the new Ruins theme perfectly.
Mossy Rock Thrower
A rugged jungle look wrapped in moss and stone, built for the new map.
New Profile Icons
Complete your profile with four new icons that all match the mysterious tone of the update.
Rock Thrower
A rugged jungle look wrapped in long hair, built for the new map.
Druid
A dark profile icon for players who want to challenge the boss.
Devil Princess
A striking and rare icon with a darker look.
Rose Druid
An elegant variant that highlights the new Rose Ruins atmosphere.
Progression, Co-op and Stability
- 5 new additional experience levels up to Level 25
- Improved performance and stability in Co-op and Versus
- General visual and technical improvements across the game
I built this update to make the jungle feel darker, more dangerous, and more alive. Have fun with the new content, explore the ruins, and let me know what you think of the Ancient Update!
Play Monkey Wave
Jump straight into the latest update. Download the game for free on the App Store or Google Play, or view it on Steam.
