Planet Zoo 2 hits No. 2 on Steam in Germany before launch

Frontier Developments’ Planet Zoo 2 reached No. 2 on Germany’s Steam top sellers chart on Oct. 12, one day before launch, Notebookcheck reported, citing Steam.

The ranking matters because the $49.99 PC game was still in pre-orders. Globally, it placed seventh, while AION 2 held Germany’s top slot, according to the same report and Steam listing.

Notebookcheck reported that Planet Zoo 2 ranked ahead of EA Sports FC 27 and ARC Raiders in Germany at the time of writing. Steam’s seller chart captures store momentum, though the report did not provide unit sales or revenue.

The game is the sequel to Frontier’s 2019 zoo-management simulation. Players again build parks, shape habitats, manage animal welfare, keep guests satisfied and try to run a profitable attraction.

The new release widens the builder’s toolkit. Frontier says players can add freshwater and saltwater aquariums for species including blacktip reef sharks, sea turtles and fish, alongside aviaries for free-flying birds such as toco toucans and secretary birds.

Frontier also says Planet Zoo 2 has improved animations and more natural animal behavior. Wildlife Reserves add a conservation layer, letting players create nature reserves and release animals into the wild.

Construction tools are another focus. The sequel includes changes designed to make terrain editing, plant placement and path building easier, according to the report.

The mode list covers career, franchise and sandbox play. That gives the game structured progression, online-style park management and a lower-pressure option for players who mainly want to design elaborate zoos.

Steam lists the standard edition at $49.99. The Deluxe Edition costs an additional $15 and includes six extra animal species and exclusive decorations, while pre-order buyers receive cosmetic extras.

The listed PC requirements call for at least 16 GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 2060. Frontier recommends an RTX 3070, and Steam already marks the game as Verified for Steam Deck before release.

The German chart also shows the competitive week Planet Zoo 2 is entering. Atlas360 reported on Oct. 6 that AION 2 had reportedly reached 400,000 concurrent users, after 80 Level reported it exceeded 171,000 concurrent Steam players during paid Advanced Access.

Those AION 2 figures provide useful scale for the title currently ahead of Frontier’s game in Germany, but they do not reveal the same metric as a top-sellers ranking. Concurrency, pre-orders and revenue are different measures of demand.

There are limits to what the pre-launch chart shows. A high ranking can reflect concentrated pre-order interest, but it does not confirm how many copies sold, how players will review the game, or whether it will hold attention after launch.

What to watch

On Oct. 13, the main observable is whether Planet Zoo 2 converts pre-order momentum into launch-day Steam performance, including its seller ranking and early player response.

The same date will test the Steam Deck Verified label in real use, as handheld players move from store compatibility status to actual performance and controls.

Source: trade-press report, Notebookcheck, Oct. 12; Steam store listing, Oct. 12