PZ2 GuideIndependent Planet Zoo 2 fan guide

Planet Zoo 2 guide: animals, habitats, game modes and patches

Independent guides built from Frontier's Zoopedia, player guides and update notes

  • A male lion with a dark mane lying on a rock
  • A red panda with its tongue out, against yellow leaves
  • A clown anemonefish among the tentacles of an anemone
  • A greater flamingo spreading its pink and black wings in shallow water

Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Giles Laurent (CC BY-SA 4.0); Christian Mehlführer (edited by Böhringer) (CC BY 2.5); Ritiks (CC BY-SA 3.0); Giles Laurent (CC BY-SA 4.0). All photo credits.

136 species, three game modes, every update

Size a habitat for any of the 136 species with the animal requirements calculator, find which fish can share a tank in the aquarium guide, and see how accreditation, research and Career mode work. The patch notes cover every update since launch. Everything comes from Frontier's Zoopedia, player guides and update notes. Planet Zoo 2 came out on 13 October 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

By Rai Ansar · Checked against the linked official sources on · How this page was made

Planet Zoo 2 guides by topic

Animals and habitats

Game modes and progress

Updates and patches

Platforms, editions and sharing

Planet Zoo 2 release date and unlock time

Launched Tuesday 13 October, 14:00 UTC

Planet Zoo 2 launched on 13 October 2026 on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Frontier confirmed a launch time of 14:00 UTC (3PM BST), the same time the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store list: 7:00 am PDT and 10:00 am EDT in the US, 3:00 pm BST in the UK, 4:00 pm CEST in most of Europe and 1:00 am AEDT on Wed 14 Oct in Sydney.

Frontier announced the time in its Steam post "Release Timing!" on 9 October 2026, and on launch day posted "Planet Zoo 2 is Out Now!", saying the game was available on all platforms (checked 14 October 2026).

Buying the Planet Zoo 2 PS5 disc

The physical PlayStation 5 disc came out on Tuesday 20 October 2026, a week after the digital release. Amazon lists it as "Planet Zoo 2 - PlayStation 5". It suits PS5 players who want a disc to keep, lend or resell. If you want to play without waiting for delivery, or you play on PC, buy the digital version instead: there is no PC disc.

Planet Zoo 2 PS5 disc on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate, PZ2 Guide earns from qualifying purchases. This is an affiliate link, at no extra cost to you.

What is Planet Zoo 2?

Planet Zoo 2 is Frontier Developments' sequel to Planet Zoo (2019), a game where you build zoos, design habitats and manage animal welfare, guests and staff. The sequel adds fully aquatic species in custom aquariums, fully flying birds in roofed aviaries, and Wildlife Reserves where you release animals into the wild. It has Career, Franchise and Sandbox modes. Frontier's Zoopedia lists 136 species; see the full animal list.

When Planet Zoo 2 came out: launch time in your time zone

What we checked

We checked the PlayStation Store (UK) and Microsoft Store (US) listings on 14 October 2026. Both carry a release timestamp of 2026-10-13T14:00:00Z in their page data. Frontier then confirmed a launch time of 3PM BST (14:00 UTC) in its Steam post "Release Timing!" on 9 October 2026. The times below are converted to local time with daylight saving applied: the US and UK are still on summer time on 13 October, and New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania and South Australia start daylight saving time on 4 October (Queensland and Western Australia do not use it).

14:00 UTC on 13 October 2026, converted to local time
RegionLocal unlock time
US PacificLos Angeles7:00 am PDTTue 13 Oct
US MountainDenver8:00 am MDTTue 13 Oct
US CentralChicago9:00 am CDTTue 13 Oct
US EasternNew York10:00 am EDTTue 13 Oct
UK and IrelandLondon3:00 pm BSTTue 13 Oct
Central EuropeBerlin, Paris, Madrid4:00 pm CESTTue 13 Oct
Eastern EuropeAthens, Helsinki5:00 pm EESTTue 13 Oct
Western AustraliaPerth10:00 pm AWSTTue 13 Oct
QueenslandBrisbane12:00 am AESTWed 14 Oct
South AustraliaAdelaide12:30 am ACDTWed 14 Oct
Eastern AustraliaSydney, Melbourne1:00 am AEDTWed 14 Oct

Steam's store data now lists the game as released on 13 October 2026, and Frontier's Steam announcement "Planet Zoo 2 - OUT NOW!" was posted at 14:02 UTC that day.

Planet Zoo 2 preload and download size

Pre-loading is over now that the game is out. Before launch, Frontier said Steam pre-purchasers could pre-load, and aimed to open it at 3PM BST on 12 October (Frontier's Steam post "Release Timing!", checked 14 October 2026). Frontier has not published a download size. Steam lists 40 GB of available space, which is installation space, not a download size.

What Frontier has confirmed, and what it hasn't

  • PC (Steam, Epic) Out now
  • PlayStation 5 Out now
  • Xbox Series X|S Out now
  • Switch and Switch 2 No plans
  • Mac No plans
  • PS4 and Xbox One No plans

Confirmed

  • Launched on 13 October 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S (Frontier FAQ). See the platforms page for Steam Deck status and the platforms Frontier has ruled out.
  • Physical disc editions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S launched a week later, on Tuesday 20 October (Frontier's FAQ at launch, archived 14 October; the buy page still lists the physical editions).
  • The Standard Edition costs $49.99 / £39.99 / €49.99 and the Deluxe Edition $64.99 / £54.99 / €64.99. See Deluxe vs Standard, the Bonus Content Pack and DLC.
  • No PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2 or macOS versions. Frontier's FAQ says none are planned.
  • No multiplayer. You can share and download parks and blueprints through the Frontier Workshop across platforms, and you can play offline once the game is downloaded. See multiplayer, co-op and Workshop.
  • Frontier's FAQ says it is available through NVIDIA GeForce NOW, for players without a high-spec PC or a current-generation console.
  • Steam Deck Verified, per Valve's compatibility report and Frontier's Steam post of 14 September 2026.

Not confirmed yet

  • Download size. Frontier has not given one. See preload and download size above.
  • Xbox Game Pass or PS Plus. Frontier's FAQ says it doesn't "have anything to share" about either.
  • Future DLC. At launch Frontier's FAQ said the team was "fully focused on launch" and had nothing to share about future content (archived 14 October); the current FAQ no longer answers it. The Deluxe Upgrade Pack and Bonus Content Pack are the two DLC packs on Steam.

For what has changed since the first game, read what's new in Planet Zoo 2. If you are on PC, use the Planet Zoo 2 PC requirements and checker before you buy.

Planet Zoo 2 quick answers

What time does Planet Zoo 2 come out?

7:00 am PDT, 10:00 am EDT, 3:00 pm BST, 4:00 pm CEST and 1:00 am AEDT on Wed 14 Oct (Sydney) on 13 October 2026. Frontier confirmed the launch time as 3PM BST, which is 14:00 UTC, in its Steam post "Release Timing!" on 9 October 2026. On 13 October it posted "Planet Zoo 2 is Out Now!", saying the game was available on all platforms.

Is there a Planet Zoo 2 preload?

Pre-loading is over now that the game is out. Before launch, Frontier said Steam pre-purchasers could pre-load, and aimed to open it at 3PM BST on 12 October (Frontier's Steam post "Release Timing!", checked 14 October 2026). Frontier has not published a download size. Steam lists 40 GB of available space, which is installation space, not a download size.

How much does Planet Zoo 2 cost?

The Standard Edition costs $49.99, £39.99 or €49.99, and the Deluxe Edition $64.99, £54.99 or €64.99, as Frontier lists them (checked 14 October 2026).

What platforms is Planet Zoo 2 on?

PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Frontier says there are no plans for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2 or Mac.

Sources

Each source was opened and checked on 25 October 2026. Frontier's own pages are the authority; if they change, they take precedence over this page.

  1. Frontier, Planet Zoo 2 help and FAQ: platforms, prices, no Mac, Switch or previous-generation versions, GeForce NOW and Game Pass answers
  2. Frontier, Planet Zoo 2 help and FAQ as archived on 14 October 2026 (Wayback Machine): physical editions on 20 October; "fully focused on launch" answer on future content
  3. Steam store page, Planet Zoo 2 (app 3219030): release date 13 October 2026 (listed as released), regional prices
  4. Frontier, Planet Zoo 2 pre-order page: same 13 October date for both editions; no early access mentioned
  5. PlayStation Store listing, Planet Zoo 2 (UK): release timestamp 2026-10-13T14:00:00Z in the listing data
  6. Microsoft Store listing, Planet Zoo 2 (US): release timestamp 2026-10-13T14:00:00.0000000Z in the listing data
  7. Frontier news, "Planet Zoo 2 releasing 13 October 2026" (28 May 2026): release date announcement
  8. Frontier corporate news, "Build a wilder world this October" (28 May 2026): platforms and suggested prices
  9. Frontier, Steam announcement "Planet Zoo 2 is Steam Deck Verified!" (14 September 2026): Steam Deck Verified
  10. Frontier, Steam announcement "Planet Zoo 2 | Release Timing!" (9 October 2026): launch at 3PM BST (14:00 UTC) on 13 October; Steam pre-load for pre-purchasers aimed for 3PM BST on 12 October
  11. Frontier, "Planet Zoo 2 is Out Now!" (13 October 2026): available to play now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; over 130 animals
  12. Frontier, Steam announcement "Planet Zoo 2 - OUT NOW!" (13 October 2026): Steam announcement posted 14:02 UTC on 13 October: "out in the wild and available now"