Planet Zoo 2 launched on October 13, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The sequel brings more than 130 animals, including flying and fully aquatic species, according to Frontier’s release announcement.
In the US, the Standard Edition costs $49.99 and the Deluxe Edition costs $64.99. Critics aren’t on the same page. PC Gamer gave it 60/100 for fiddly menus, while Push Square gave the PS5 version a 9/10 for its customisation.
TL;DR: Planet Zoo 2 launched October 13, 2026, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S with more than 130 animals, flying and aquatic species included, and it beat the original’s all-time concurrent-player record within 24 hours. Critics are split, with PC Gamer scoring it 60/100 for fiddly menus and Push Square giving it 9/10 for customisation. Buy the $49.99 Standard Edition if the base game suits you, but wait for patches if animal climbing, enrichment alignment, and habitat escapes still matter to you.
Planet Zoo 2 Is Out and Already Breaking Records
Frontier didn’t wait long to brag. On October 14, the developer said Planet Zoo 2 had passed the original Planet Zoo’s all-time concurrent-player record within its first 24 hours, according to its Steam announcement. For a management sim, that’s a strong opening. The genre isn’t exactly famous for crowds, unless you count the crowd staring at a sulking flamingo.
Concurrent players matter more than sales figures. That number counts how many people are playing at the same moment, which tells you whether a game holds attention after the launch-day hype fades. Beating the first game’s peak means longtime fans came back and new players showed up at the same time. Sequels rarely pull off that combination on day one, so this one is worth watching in the weeks ahead.
Flying Fish and Fully Aquatic Zoos: The New Stuff
Planet Zoo 2 finally lets you keep things that don’t walk. The sequel adds flying and fully aquatic animals, and Frontier says the game launched with more than 130 animals in total. In its May 2026 announcement, Frontier described customisable aviaries and aquariums built for those species.
Those enclosures change the job. A bird can’t just be parked in a fenced paddock with a water bowl, and a fish can’t live in a pond you dug for ducks. Flight space and water volume now have to be part of your layout, which means more planning before you place the first animal.
Is it a new game? Not quite. The core loop of guests, money and keeper headaches is still there. The aviaries and aquariums are the real change, not the headcount. A longer animal list is nice, but designing an entirely new kind of habitat is what will eat your evenings.
Wildlife Reserves Promise More Than Decoration
Wildlife Reserves are tied to conservation projects, and players restore habitats and release animals inside them. Nice pitch. It’s also the easiest feature to turn into decoration, because a “save the rhino” label costs nothing to add.
The real test is what the reserve asks of you. Does restoring a habitat change how your animals behave, or does it just unlock a badge? Wildlife Reserves should matter in every session, not sit in a side menu. A release should feel like the payoff for careful planning, not a cutscene you click past.
Standard or Deluxe: What You Pay for Each
Frontier’s suggested retail prices come in three currencies, and the Deluxe Edition is the one that makes you think about what you actually want from the game.
- Standard Edition: £39.99 / $49.99 / €49.99
- Deluxe Edition: £54.99 / $64.99 / €64.99
The Deluxe Edition bundles the base game with a Deluxe Upgrade Pack. That pack adds six extra animal species and exclusive animal signs. The species are the real draw, since they give you new residents to fit into your enclosures. The signs are the kind of thing you’ll only care about once you’ve seen them.
Treat those figures as suggestions. Prices vary by currency, and stores can list the game for more or less than the suggested price, so check the storefront before you buy.
Critics Split: Menus Versus Customisation
PC Gamer’s October 13, 2026 review gave Planet Zoo 2 a 60/100. It loved the animals but found the menus and micromanagement fiddly enough to drag the score down. Push Square reviewed the PS5 version on the same day and gave it a 9/10, praising the customisation and new features.
The two reviews agree that the animals and the depth are real. They disagree on whether the depth comes with a price. PC Gamer treats the micromanagement as a flaw. Push Square treats the same complexity as the reason the game is worth your time.
Push Square also flagged a tricky learning curve and fiddly gamepad controls, which is a useful clue. A menu that feels clumsy with a controller in your hands might feel fine with a mouse and keyboard. That makes platform and control scheme part of the verdict, not just a footnote.
Launch Fixes and the Known Issues Still Open
Frontier moved quickly on the save problem. Hotfix 1.0.7, announced on October 23, 2026, fixed a Franchise-save Resume error that could stop players loading into any game mode. A save that won’t load wrecks a session, so clearing it fast is good news.
The open list matters more. The same October 23 issue notice says Frontier is still working on animal climbing and jumping, on animals misaligning with enrichment objects, and on animals escaping habitats during certain behaviours. A management game lives or dies on animals doing what they’re supposed to do. Fast fixes are nice, but a zoo where animals wander off or clip through their enrichment is a zoo you can’t fully trust yet.
Should You Buy It at Launch or Wait
If the base game covers what you want, buy Standard and keep the extra $15. Deluxe only earns its price if the six extra species are the reason you’re buying, because the animal signs won’t keep you up at night.
Then watch the open list. If Frontier’s fixes for animal climbing and jumping, enrichment misalignment and habitat escapes actually ship, the zoo starts to feel trustworthy. If those problems linger, you’ll spend your evenings chasing animals that have wandered off.
We’d also wait for reviews and patches to settle before going all in. Check whether the next updates cross those behaviour problems off the list, and see whether players are still reporting the same bugs a few weeks in.
Buy It Now or Wait for the Patches
Start with your platform. If you play on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S, the gamepad complaints in the PS5 review are your first test, and they matter more than any score. On PC, the fiddly menus are the thing to test instead, so judge how long the clicking bothers you.
Buy Standard if you’re curious. Build one aviary with a flying species and watch whether the birds stay put. If animals still climb, jump or escape after a few weeks of patches, keep the $15 and wait.
