Frontier Developments announced Planet Zoo 2 earlier this year, and since then, they have been releasing more in-depth videos about the game’s animal behaviors and the animals you can have in your zoo. Planet Zoo 2 will be the first new game in the IP since 2019, when Planet Zoo launched, and “hotly anticipated” doesn’t even begin to cover it.
In June 2026, we heard from the development team about some of the new features coming to Planet Zoo 2. This included visual upgrades, new animals, and the brand-new customizable animal reserves. This time we got a chance to go hands-on with the new zoo management game. We got to check out a bit of the campaign and then some creative sandbox play.
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One of the new major features in Planet Zoo 2 is the new wildlife reserves. In Planet Zoo, players would release their animals into these reserves but had little control over anything beyond knowing their animal was now living in the wild. This has been totally revamped in Planet Zoo 2 and gives players more control over these reserves than just what animals they place.
Planet Zoo 2 has significantly revamped its animal systems in a great way.
I got to spend some time in these Wildlife Reserves, and it seems like a little playground players will get to play in and design. When in the reserves, players can move on foot or by vehicle. For anyone familiar with the Jurassic World Evolution franchise, the Wildlife Reserve sections include a driving system so players can drive around, explore their reserves, and take beautiful photos of their animals.
Wildlife Reserves, as much as they are based on their overall climate and location they are also sectioned off into particular ecosystems. A wildlife reserve can include multiple ecosystems, much like in real life, such as riverbanks, forests, plains, and more. Each of these sections can be customized for specific species that fit the overall ecosystem.
While customization usually means adding rocks, grass, or other flora, Wildlife Reserves can involve more, as one of my tasks was removing an invasive species from a particular ecosystem because it was ruining it. It wasn’t until all of the species were removed that it was recommended to finally add some new foliage.
Wildlife Reserves in Planet Zoo add surprising depth to the animals you steward.
I didn’t spend much time in my Wildlife Reserve because I wanted to move on, but it is very calming and soothing to roam around and look at all the animals and landscapes. The team has mentioned visual upgrades over the last few months, and it really shows even in my limited playtime.
Whether in a Zoo or out in nature in the Wildlife Reserves, the game looks beautiful. You can clearly tell there’s been an improvement in the overall visuals, whether it is the animals and their movements or just looking out yonder over the grasslands.
These Wildlife Reserves will be a part of the campaign that players can play. I got to check out the first few levels of the new campaign coming to Planet Zoo 2. Players will be working with a new conservation program called FEN (Fauna and Ecosystem Network). FEN will have players doing various quests and campaigns around the world, both in Zoos and the aforementioned Wildlife Reserves.
The levels we got to check out were early, so they were really just an introduction to these Wildlife Reserves and the two new habitat enclosures players can build in Planet Zoo 2: an aviary and an aquarium. Much like any enclosure, these will have specific needs and requirements based on the species that will be living in the enclosure.
Aviaries and aquariums are a new addition to Planet Zoo 2.
One of the first things I wanted to do in my play session was to see how easy or difficult it would be to build an aviary, since I know this can be difficult in other Zoo games. It was stated that to build one, you really just needed to place some support poles, and the netting would fill out the rest with ease. And it really is, in fact, that easy to do. In my rush, I made the ugliest-looking aviary there is and definitely needed some refinement, but being able to build one with such simplicity was a pleasant experience.
Blueprints were a thing in Planet Zoo, but I would say they felt lacking, especially in the beginning, and the ones that were there were, to say the least, quite bland. Planet Zoo 2 has stepped it up and has blueprints for almost anything and of all sizes.
Whether it was an aquarium, aviary, or open-ended restaurant, there was plenty for players to choose from. We started with a pre-made zoo and expanded it, using blueprints that fit the existing theme. It was nice that I didn’t have to go and look up every single detail and make my own.
Additionally, blueprints are great for supplementing areas and needs; however, building your own is part of the charm of these games. There is no shortage of pieces for players to use to build their own buildings, enclosures, and everything in between.
Planet Zoo 2 also offers plenty of new decoration and building options.
I spent a good amount of time just looking through the different decorations, building components, and other various items. It is quite a lot, and filters will definitely be a must when you’re looking for those tiny, specific pieces.
Open-air restaurants, staff areas, and shops were something I was looking forward to when Planet Zoo 2 was announced. There are blueprints for those too, so people can get a feel for how to build them. I really enjoy that they have little counters and stands for players to use when making these.
Of course, they can look all pretty and covered, or you can just place a stand/counter down, and it will work just fine. So for anyone wanting a very low-maintenance children’s lemonade stand, that is totally possible.
My play session was very limited and there is still plenty left to encounter as we did not have access to all the animals, franchise mode, workshop, and sure a few other things as well. Planet Zoo 2 is already impressive. We still have some time before launch, and there’s more to see and learn about how these new moving parts come together; however, from my limited experience, I am excited to dig deeper when I get the chance.
Planet Zoo 2 releases on October 13, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
