What are the biggest differences?
| Planet Zoo | Planet Zoo 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch platforms | PC only (2019) | PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on the same day |
| Birds | No fully flying birds | Fully flying birds in roofed aviaries |
| Aquatic animals | No fully aquatic species | Freshwater, saltwater and brackish aquariums |
| Releasing animals | Abstract: a button and conservation credits | Wildlife Reserves you build, visit and research |
| Aviary roofs | Built by hand from scenery and terrain | One-click Add Roof, reshaped with pillars |
| Welfare | Meeting needs | A new Thriving state above that |
| Zoo reputation | A more complex rating, per Frontier | 5 stars from four areas |
| Paths | Limited tools | Line, curve, draw, stamp and border tools |
| Foliage | Placed piece by piece | Nature brush |
| Scenery themes | Five themes that return in the sequel | Four new themes plus the five returning ones |
| Sharing creations | PC | Frontier Workshop, shared across PC and consoles |
Will Planet Zoo still be supported?
Partly. The FAQ says Frontier’s support team will keep helping players with problems in Planet Zoo, while the development team is now focused on Planet Zoo 2.
Does Planet Zoo content carry over?
Frontier has not said that Planet Zoo saves, DLC or Workshop items transfer to the sequel. The one link between the two is on PlayStation, where owners of the original get 10% off the Deluxe Edition pre-order; see editions and prices.
Should you upgrade?
If you wanted birds, aquariums or a console version, those are exactly what the sequel adds. If your main interest is a large animal roster, compare the 130 species revealed so far with the original’s expansions first, since Planet Zoo 2 launches with a base roster and no announced DLC.
Sources & verification
- Planet Zoo 2 official site: Help, FAQ and system requirements, read October 11, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 official site: Features and scenery themes, read October 11, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 news: “Creature Feature: Aviaries”, August 13, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 news: “Creature Feature: Aquariums”, July 30, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 news: “Creature Feature: Wildlife Reserves”, September 3, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Planet Zoo 2 news: “Creature Feature: Creative Tools”, August 20, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Frontier on Steam: “Creature Feature: Managing a Zoo”, September 23, 2026Official · 2026-10-11
- Wikipedia: Planet Zoo 2, read October 11, 2026Database · 2026-10-11