Planet Zoo 2 revealed: October release, aquatic and flying animals, wildlife conservation outside your zoo

Frontier Developments has officially revealed Planet Zoo 2, and it's launching 13th October 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S simultaneously. That's a notable change from the original Planet Zoo, which launched on PC in 2019 and didn't reach consoles until March 2024.

The headline additions are aquatic and flying animal species, which open up new habitat designs and more complex zoo layouts than the original allowed. Beyond that, players can now take conservation work outside the zoo itself — restoring natural habitats and releasing animals into Wildlife Reserves, as Frontier pushes for a more authentic take on animal conservation. Seven years of engine progress also means the whole thing looks considerably sharper. Pre-orders come with a Bonus Content Pack including extra buildings and park customisation options. The Deluxe Edition bumps the price from £39.99 to £54.99 and adds six bonus animal species via a separate upgrade.

Frontier has had a rough stretch recently — a Warhammer RTS flopped badly enough that the studio publicly recommitted to sim games. Planet Coaster 2 and Jurassic World Evolution 3 helped steady the ship, and Planet Zoo 2 looks like the next step in that recovery. Whether ideas from those two games have fed into Planet Zoo 2 isn't clear yet from the announcement.

Frontier says more news is coming very soon, with appearances at the Wholesome Games showcase on 6th June and the PC Gaming Show on 7th June. The autumn window served Jurassic World Evolution 3 well last year, and Frontier is clearly betting it'll do the same here.