Planet Zoo 2

Story and setting

Career mode places you within FEN, the Fauna and Ecosystems Network, and takes you between zoos and conservation projects around the world. The confirmed material presents Planet Zoo 2 as a globe-spanning management campaign rather than a traditional linear adventure, with players building an international network of zoos and Wildlife Reserves. The announcement and gameplay trailer introduce FEN chairman Eric and Zoo Operations Manager Alys, although Frontier has not yet published a complete synopsis or character list.

Wildlife Reserves are the sequel’s main story and gameplay expansion. Once animals meet the relevant conservation requirements, they can be released into large, natural environments that you design and restore. The reserves are not simply another type of zoo: they are intended to support rewilding, research and the creation of functioning ecosystems with a much lighter staff presence than a public-facing park.

How it plays

The core loop remains familiar. Build habitats, provide suitable food, water, terrain, plants and enrichment, then balance animal welfare with guest satisfaction and the finances needed to expand. Staff morale, training, research, electricity, water filtration, shops, amenities and education all feed into the running of each zoo. A new Thriving state rewards particularly natural, enriching habitats with longer animal lifespans and stronger guest donations.

The major additions are aquariums and aviaries. Aquariums can be built for freshwater or saltwater species, with filtration and keeper access forming part of their management. Aviaries use barriers, support poles and dynamic mesh covers, allowing birds to fly, perch and interact with their surroundings; some can also be arranged as walk-through habitats. Confirmed examples include blacktip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, toco toucans and secretarybirds.

Building tools include ready-made blueprints, piece-by-piece construction, scaling, flexi-colour options, improved pathing, foliage tools and terrain brushes. Four new scenery themes join five returning themes from the original game. Career, Franchise and Sandbox modes are confirmed. Franchise supports online animal trading and cross-platform Frontier Workshop sharing, while the game itself remains a single-player management experience rather than a co-operative zoo builder.

Trailers and showcases

The 28 May 2026 announcement trailer established the sequel’s headline features: a visual and animation upgrade, aquatic species, flying birds, customisable aquariums and aviaries, and the ability to release animals into Wildlife Reserves. Frontier’s accompanying breakdown highlighted more expressive animal behaviour, dynamic water reactions, improved chimpanzee movement and the first footage of a Sumatran tiger, hawksbill turtle, ocean sunfish, shoaling fish and toco toucans.

The 7 June gameplay trailer, shown around the PC Gaming Show, gave a broader overview of zoo construction, animal care and reserve restoration. Later feature videos focused on aquariums on 21 July, aviaries on 6 August, building tools and Workshop blueprints on 20 August, and Wildlife Reserves plus a drivable Research Vehicle on 27 August. The 28 August Sandbox Gameplay Showcase was the most practical demonstration so far, showing a plaza, staff facilities, custom buildings, a mountain hare habitat, an aviary, an aquarium and the Nature Brush.

Platforms, editions and UK price

Planet Zoo 2 launches digitally on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The UK standard edition has a suggested retail price of £39.99, while the Deluxe Edition costs £54.99. The Deluxe package contains the base game, the Deluxe Upgrade Pack and the pre-order Bonus Content Pack. Its six additional species are the golden eagle, golden lion tamarin, great hammerhead shark, axolotl, blue and gold fusilier and longfin batfish, plus exclusive animal signs.

Pre-ordering either edition adds the Bonus Content Pack at launch: the Toucan Eat Shop and Signage, three unique animal donation bins and a Tiger Photo Stand-In Wall. Digital pre-orders are live through the Xbox Store, PlayStation Store and Steam. Smyths Toys also lists a PS5 pre-order at £39.99, although Frontier has not published a definitive UK physical-release schedule.

What we still do not know

Frontier has confirmed the release date but not an official UK unlock time, so it is safest to treat Tuesday, 13 October as the confirmed date rather than promise a particular BST launch hour. Challenge mode has also not been formally detailed for Planet Zoo 2, despite its presence in the original game.

There is no announced Game Pass or PS Plus inclusion, no confirmed demo or trial, and no published post-launch content roadmap. The confirmed online features are Franchise trading and the Frontier Workshop; co-op multiplayer has not been announced. The standard edition includes all the headline gameplay systems, so the Deluxe Edition is mainly for players who specifically want its six extra species and additional signs.