INDEPENDENT FAN GUIDEAnimal unlocks updated 15 Oct 2026
LET YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE BEGIN

Planet Zoo 2.
A whole new
kind of wild.

Big cats. Tiny wings. A world underwater.
Meet your future residents and dream up your next zoo.

136 species to discover13 OCT digital release · out nowPC · PS5
Xbox Series X|S
MEET YOUR FUTURE RESIDENTS

Who’s moving in?

All 136 animals and Franchise unlock tiers ↗

Official Zoopedia images © Frontier Developments. Tier badges show Franchise unlock requirements; Deluxe badges show edition requirements.

Planet Zoo 2 aquarium
PLAN BELOW THE SURFACE

Your first aquarium

Staff access, water types and a viewing route that leaves room to grow.

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Golden eagle, one of the Deluxe edition animals
BUY WHAT FITS YOUR ZOO

Standard or Deluxe?

Six extra animals. Compare exactly what changes before you choose.

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Official Planet Zoo 2 zoo-building scene
READY TO PLAY

Release & PC specs

Platforms, hardware, offline play and what sharing actually means.

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A LITTLE PLANNING GOES A LONG WAY

Great zoos start
with a little daydream.

Keep the first sketch loose. These checks help you prepare without inventing enclosure sizes or animal compatibility.

Ticked items save in this browser only. Shared links open a fresh checklist.

0 of 5 ready

MY FIRST-ZOO CHECKLIST

Use the animal list to pick one species that gives your zoo a theme. Check its unlock tier, enclosure category and edition.

Open the guide ↗

Leave a clear route behind enclosures for staff, with space to adjust paths after you see the game requirements.

Open the guide ↗

Choose a possible aquatic species, then leave room to adjust water volume, gates and viewing areas.

Open the guide ↗

Use your accreditation tier to choose animals you can adopt now, and plan the next upgrade.

Open the guide ↗

Confirm your platform and compare every PC specification, then check the store for your download details.

Open the guide ↗
WATCH THE BUILD

See a zoo take shape

Cesar Creates builds an aviary, a custom exhibit and an aquarium in this Sandbox preview. He recorded it after an invitation to Frontier’s preview event; the footage predates release.

Cesar Creates · 12 September 2026 · 56 min 45 sec

Watch the original on YouTube ↗
PLAN THE ZOO, THEN VERIFY THE DETAILS

Leave room to change your mind.

Players are already sketching their first zoos and organising animal spreadsheets. Our starting point is the same: a useful shortlist and a flexible layout. The community planning discussion also separates animal lists from habitat sizes and mixed-species checks that need the game.

This guide uses Frontier’s published details and clearly attributed creator footage. We have not tested the released game. Read the in-game Zoopedia before placing animals, and treat any early preview as a view of development footage. For a first build, a favourite species is a better starting question than an unverified claim about the cheapest or most profitable animal.

BEFORE YOU BUILD

Questions, answered

Which animal should I plan my first enclosure around?

Pick a species you want to build for, confirm its Franchise unlock tier, edition and enclosure category, then check its welfare requirements in the released game. Our shortlist is a design starting point; it does not rank animals by cost or difficulty.

Adapted from Inner__Penguin’s first-enclosure question ↗
Can I use this guide to choose habitat sizes and mixed-species groups?

You can plan themes and reserve flexible space. This guide does not supply unverified sizes or compatibility rules. Check the released game’s Zoopedia before committing to a group or enclosure.

Player spreadsheet and planning discussion ↗