‘Planet Zoo 2’ Is Out Now With Over 130 Animals, Aquariums, Aviaries & Wildlife Reserves
by uGames Editors
'Planet Zoo 2' (Image: Frontier Developments)
Frontier Developments’ long-awaited zoo management sequel has arrived. Planet Zoo 2 launched on Tuesday, Oct. 13, on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, letting players build and run zoos stocked with more than 130 animal species.
Digital storefronts unlocked globally at 2 p.m. UTC, with physical editions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S following on Oct. 20. Unlike the original Planet Zoo, which debuted on PC in 2019 and didn’t reach current-generation consoles until 2024, the sequel launched simultaneously across all platforms.
‘Planet Zoo 2’ Reviews
The biggest additions are fully aquatic and flying species, a first for the franchise. Players can now build fully customizable aquariums and aviaries, housing creatures such as blacktip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, toco toucans and secretarybirds. Guests can even walk through aviaries as birds fly overhead.
Conservation has also been expanded beyond the zoo walls. As the newest Conservation Coordinator for the Fauna and Ecosystems Network, players take on projects worldwide, meeting breeding milestones to release animals into expansive, fully customizable Wildlife Reserves. Players can also explore those reserves on foot, observing and photographing wildlife.
The game includes Career, Franchise and Sandbox modes, and players can trade animals with others and work together toward community goals. Frontier has also overhauled animal behavior, with each species reacting to its mood and needs, while the Planet series’ signature piece-by-piece building tools return alongside four new scenery themes and five returning ones from the original game.
Price & Editions
The Standard Edition costs $49.99 and includes the base game plus a Bonus Content Pack. The $64.99 Deluxe Edition adds the Deluxe Upgrade Pack, which introduces six additional animal species. Frontier has said there are no plans to bring the game to previous-generation consoles or macOS.
Critics Largely Impressed
Early reviews have been strong. Planet Zoo 2 holds an 85 Metascore on both PC and PS5, with review scores ranging from 7.5 to 10.
Push Square awarded the PS5 version a 9 out of 10, calling it a must-have for fans of creative management games, though it flagged a tricky learning curve and fiddly gamepad controls. Cultured Vultures called the sequel an evolution rather than a revolution, but said it surpasses the original in every way and is the best zoo management game available today. GameWatcher was more measured, scoring it a 7.5 and describing it as a deeper, richer sim that rewards players willing to tolerate its rough edges.
Across reviews, critics praised the animals’ personalities and animations, the improved pathing and building tools and the new habitats, while noting launch bugs, clipping and a demanding interface. Player reception on Steam has been more mixed, with about 71% of more than 1,300 user reviews rated positive.
A Comeback for Frontier
Planet Zoo 2 was first teased on the original game’s sixth anniversary in November 2025 and officially announced in May 2026. It follows Jurassic World Evolution 3 and Planet Coaster 2 as part of Frontier’s renewed focus on management sims.
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