New details have been revealed for the Planet Zoo 1.4 Update, giving players a preview of some quality-of-life improvements and new features that are coming in the game's next major patch.
Planet Zoo is a game made by the same people who brought you Planet Coaster. As the name implies, it shifts the game's focus from managing a theme park to managing a zoo, its animals, and the people that help it thrive. Now, some new changes and improvements will be arriving early next month, some of which were created in response to requests from the community.
What's Coming in the Planet Zoo 1.4 Update?
The first major addition in the Planet Zoo 1.4 Update is "Animal Talks," an educational staple at many real-world zoos. Players can place down an "Animal Talk Point" in their park and assign the new "Educator" staff to this location. This new feature will allow Educators to teach guests about one specific animal species. The developers caution players that they should set aside some dedicated space so that people listening to the talk do not inhibit the flow of traffic in the park.
Also arriving is new management features for transport rides. Aside from telling you some critical numbers (such as profit margins and how many guests are actually using them), these features will allow you to easily set the number of trains, ticket prices, and the current status of the ride.
Animals who like to take a dip in the water are also getting some love in this upcoming patch. A new "Water Temperature Regulator" facility is being added that does exactly what it says on the tin: it will allow you to manage the temperature of water within the range of the building. This will ultimately make your animals healthier and happier, and it will surely be a sound investment for parks with these animals.
Lest we forget, at least one community-requested feature is coming to the game. A new "multi-select" feature will allow you to select multiple animals in the park, alongside other gameplay tweaks and bug fixes — some of which were based on feedback from the community.
When is the Planet Zoo 1.4 Update Release Date?
The Planet Zoo 1.4 Update release date is December 8, 2020 — that's a little over one week from today! As always, we've just touched on some of the highlights of this patch; you can read about all of the fine details in the Planet Zoo 1.4 Update blog post.
If you're keen on reviving some of that zoo management nostalgia (or you're new to the genre entirely), it's a great time to get into the game! You can buy Planet Zoo on Steam for $26.99 or your regional equivalent, a 40% discount as part of the Steam Autumn Sale. If theme parks are more your thing, you can also buy Planet Coaster at a 50% discount instead.
What do you think of the new features coming in the Planet Zoo 1.4 Update? What features do you think the game badly needs? Let us know in the comments below!
