Planet Zoo beta begins on September 24 and runs through October 8

What you need to know

• Planet Zoo is an upcoming zoo simulator being developed and published by Frontier Developments.
• The game is coming exclusively to PC.
• The Planet Zoo beta begins on September 24 for anyone who preordered the deluxe edition.
• Planet Zoo is $45 to preorder on Steam, or $55 for the Deluxe Edition.

For fans of zoos and caring for animals, Planet Zoo is a few weeks away from its scheduled release. If you want to get your hands on it early though, the beta begins on September 24 and runs through October 8. Access to the beta is granted through preordering the Planet Zoo Deluxe Edition. For a look at some of the environments and animals you can expect to see, you can check out the trailer for the beta below:

The beta will allow players to try out the first scenario in Career mode and one of the biomes from Franchise mode. Career mode is the story mode for Planet Zoo, with a narrative backdrop and setting. Franchise mode is more of the traditional sandbox, letting you go crazy with different types of zoos. The Franchise mode in the beta will have access to the online features that allow players to swap animals with their friends.

The Planet Zoo Deluxe Edition includes access to the beta, the soundtrack, some high-quality wallpapers and three exclusive animals: the Pygmy Hippopotamus, Thomson's Gazelle, and the Komodo Dragon.

Planet Zoo is currently set to be available on November 5. The game is being developed and published by Frontier Developments and will release exclusively on PC through Steam at launch.