FEN's story, scenario by scenario, with Bronze to Gold medals
Career mode is Planet Zoo 2's story campaign. You join FEN, the Fauna and Ecosystems Network, as its new Conservation Coordinator and travel between scenario zoos and Wildlife Reserves around the world, restoring ecosystems and caring for animals. Each scenario has objectives for Bronze, Silver and Gold medals, and those medals raise your Career accreditation tier. It is separate from Franchise mode, so you can skip it, but Frontier calls it ideal for newcomers because it teaches the tools as you go.
Career, Franchise and Sandbox: which to play first
CareerStory and medals
FranchiseOnline network
SandboxYour rules
Planet Zoo 2 game modes, from Frontier's guides, checked 5 November 2026
Mode
What it is
Suits
Accreditation rises with
Career
FEN's story: scenario zoos and Wildlife Reserves with objectives and Bronze, Silver and Gold medals. Teaches the tools as you go.
Newcomers to Planet Zoo, in Frontier's words
Medals
Franchise
Your own network of zoos and reserves, shared Conservation Credits, animal trading with other players and Community Challenges. Online only.
Trading animals with other players and joining Community Challenges
Zoo Reputation and reserve Biodiversity
Sandbox
Build a zoo or reserve with your own settings and a Default, Creative or Challenge preset; zoos can be shared on the Workshop.
Players who want more control and fewer restrictions
Zoo Reputation and reserve Biodiversity, or all animals unlocked
Accreditation and Conservation Credits do not carry between modes. Frontier said on 14 October 2026 that each mode keeps its own accreditation, so finishing Career will not raise your Franchise tier and you do not need Career to raise it. Credits earned in Franchise mode stay in Franchise, too.
How to start Career mode
Select the Career button, then Start New Career +.
Read the welcome letter from Eric Ashford.
Select the first location in Chapter 1 and choose Travel to Wildlife Reserve.
The campaign moves between zoos and Wildlife Reserves. The Planet Hub shows them all and lets you switch between sites; research and conservation projects are managed from there too.
Medals, objectives and the Career tier
Every scenario lists objectives for a Bronze, a Silver and a Gold medal. The medals you collect across the scenario zoos and Wildlife Reserves raise your accreditation tier, which in Career is your only route up. A higher tier opens more species in Animal Trading, better marketing, new Research Network types and more animal storage. Our accreditation guide explains each unlock and the changes in Update 1.0.6.
Frontier has not published the full chapter and scenario list. Its update notes name six scenarios so far: Great Rift Valley, East Africa, New England, Sumatra Reserve, Channel Islands and Scottish Highlands, and Update 1.0.8 fixes one it calls Sumatra. Career has you restore ecosystems from its first stop, a Wildlife Reserve in Chapter 1. Our Wildlife Reserves guide lists which species each reserve accepts, and the research guide covers Research Centres and the research that needs a reserve.
Two Steam achievements track the whole campaign: Good Start, for Bronze in every Career scenario, and Excellent Finish, for Gold in every one. Update 1.0.4 also added avatar costumes for completing the Career.
Career mode fixes since launch
Frontier fixed these Career problems in Updates 1.0.4, 1.0.5, 1.0.6 and 1.0.8. If a scenario will not progress, check that your game is on the latest update first.
Career fixes in Updates 1.0.4 to 1.0.8, from Frontier's update notes
Scenario
What was fixed
Update
Any scenario
Later save slots no longer copy the medal total of save slot 1, which had unlocked Career levels too early in those slots.
1.0.4 (14 Oct)
Any scenario
The next scenario unlocks even if you saved and quit before completing the current one.
1.0.4 (14 Oct)
New England
The scenario asks for a gift shop, as intended, instead of a souvenir shop (a translation error).
1.0.4 (14 Oct)
Any scenario
Cinematic audio pauses when you open the PS5 or Xbox system menu.
1.0.4 (14 Oct)
Great Rift Valley
Softlock fixed by turning off Quick Release for the giraffes, which had removed them from storage so they could not be placed.
1.0.5 (16 Oct)
East Africa
Softlock fixed when you opened Animal Trading while Alys talks about adopting a Shoebill.
1.0.5 (16 Oct)
Sumatra Reserve
Boxed animals no longer appear when the scenario loads.
1.0.5 (16 Oct)
Any scenario
Adult Career animals are no longer sometimes flagged as juveniles.
1.0.5 (16 Oct)
Any scenario
Career notifications no longer appear on the main menu when you exit Career after certain objectives.
1.0.5 (16 Oct)
Channel Islands
Exhibit species sent to and from storage count towards the objectives again.
1.0.6 (23 Oct)
Scottish Highlands
The Blueprint toggle no longer stays off, which had stopped you placing research equipment.
1.0.8 (29 Oct)
Sumatra
Progress is no longer blocked when you restart the scenario after receiving the Asian Small-Clawed Otter release group.
1.0.8 (29 Oct)
Frontier lists newer fixes and the issues it is still testing in its Under Investigation article; our Planet Zoo 2 patch notes keep every update in one place.
Taking a Career zoo into Sandbox
Frontier's update notes describe exporting a Career scenario, or a Franchise zoo, as a Sandbox map, including a "Terrain Only" option. Update 1.0.4 fixed some land animals being removed on export, and 1.0.5 fixed the Terrain Only option not working.
Common questions
Do you have to play Career mode before Franchise?
No. Frontier said on 14 October 2026 that accreditation is separate in each mode, so you do not need to play Career to raise your Franchise tier, and Career progress does not count towards it.
Should you start with Career or Sandbox?
Frontier calls Career ideal for players new to the series, because it teaches the features and tools you need to run zoos and rebuild Wildlife Reserves. Sandbox suits players who want more control and fewer limits from the start.
How do you start Career mode in Planet Zoo 2?
Select Career, then Start New Career. Read Eric Ashford's welcome letter, choose the first location in Chapter 1 and select Travel to Wildlife Reserve.
Does Career mode raise your accreditation?
Yes, its own Career tier. Medals from scenario zoos and Wildlife Reserves raise your accreditation tier in Career only.
Can you turn a Career zoo into a Sandbox map?
Yes. Frontier's update notes describe exporting a Career scenario or a Franchise zoo as a Sandbox map, with a "Terrain Only" option. Updates 1.0.4 and 1.0.5 fixed animals going missing and Terrain Only not working on export.
Frontier, "Planet Zoo 2 - Update 1.0.4" (14 October 2026): medal total between save slots, next scenario unlock after save and quit, New England gift shop, avatar costumes, cinematic audio, export of Career and Franchise zoos as Sandbox maps
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