During the Planet Zoo 2 Zoological Summit (above), UK-based developer Frontier Developments announced a partnership with conservation organization BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The zoo management sim reflects real-world efforts of conservation. The partnership ensures that Planet Zoo 2 adheres to the standards and accreditation that BIAZA sets for its members.
The Zoological Summit took place at Chester Zoo in the UK, where important research is conducted into combating a disease impacting elephants around the world. Other conservation and educational efforts include a rare species of horse saved from extinction, 300 conservation breeding programs for endangered species, and implementing sign language to include more zoo patrons.
To date, BIAZA members have engaged with over 1,000 conservation projects.
“This is a brilliant collaboration between the virtual and real worlds, where we have a charity leading the way for zoos and aquariums, and a game which gives players the chance to express their creativity and design the zoo of their dreams,” said Gareth Hughes, Game Director, Planet Zoo. “As a game, we are incredibly mindful of how we represent animal standards and welfare, and collaborating with BIAZA allows us to ensure our research is backed by modern practices and encourages thoughtful play. We can’t wait to see how the game will continue to support global conservation.”
“As a player of Planet Zoo, I’m very excited that players will get a better understanding of the multi-faceted work of zoos and aquariums than ever before in Planet Zoo 2,” said Andy Hall, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, BIAZA. “In this virtual world we will can see that conservation isn’t as a simple as releasing animals out into the wild, but about addressing the causes of extinction – climate change, agriculture, pollution, over-fishing and much more. I am excited to work with Frontier and to see the countless creative ways of exploring the natural world and how we look after it.”
Planet Zoo 2 is set to release on October 13 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s rated E10+.
