Spring 2024 DLC Speculation

[NachoB]

The building system is very overwhelming and not really user friendly or intuitive. It has a lot of options but that can be to much to handle some times. But it all comes down to practice. I have a practice map just for that. I create the habitats first in the main map since i don't have a problem with terrsforming and landscaping but i struggle at building yet i have a lot of ideas i want to make SO i try to get familiar with the building system in a diferent map and then save the stuff as blueprints so i can place them in the other map. I also watch tutorials in YouTube and look for tips and the tricks. There are good tutorials for the basic stuff.

And if not wanting (or not being able) to spend hours making a shelter or a shop then You have a lot of blueprints in the workshop. Sometimes even modifying those, using them as a base, also helps to create new things but not entirely from scratch so it saves some time.

So i understand the sentiment but at the same time, looking at what you can achieve with the level of freedom the game gives you once you develop some skills for building is something i would not sacrify for the sake of simplicity.

 

[nutrit]

Message from Fran if anybody missed it:

 

[CharlieXGaming]

Do we really think we would get a larger pack for the end of support? Cause I know JWE and PC got theirs, but the state of frontier really isn’t looking good. The recent layoffs, retirement career scenario, rest of the trailer music being added in out of nowhere, tapir and leopard fix (the only 2 DLC animals that needed a major fix). Its hard not to think this is the end.

And the worst part of all is the endless waiting game until end of march, since we’ll never get an official “support ending” announcement (most likely).

 

[nutrit]

Do we really think we would get a larger pack for the end of support? Cause I know JWE and PC got theirs, but the state of frontier really isn’t looking good. The recent layoffs, retirement career scenario, rest of the trailer music being added in out of nowhere, tapir and leopard fix (the only 2 DLC animals that needed a major fix). Its hard not to think this is the end.

And the worst part of all is the endless waiting game until end of march, since we’ll never get an official “support ending” announcement (most likely).

I honestly don’t know but it surely doesn’t look good ATM.
All we can do now is just wait. Personally I hope they could use all the money they can get and would keep releasing DLC’s all across 2024.

 

[NachoB]

Do we really think we would get a larger pack for the end of support? Cause I know JWE and PC got theirs, but the state of frontier really isn’t looking good. The recent layoffs, retirement career scenario, rest of the trailer music being added in out of nowhere, tapir and leopard fix (the only 2 DLC animals that needed a major fix). Its hard not to think this is the end.

And the worst part of all is the endless waiting game until end of march, since we’ll never get an official “support ending” announcement (most likely).

I hope not because that means i waited four years to NOT get the animals i want the most from my part of the world only to get the wisent and the boar as final pack instead

 

[Aramar]

Twitter. About both Lydia and Francesca. She has also written she did not even had the time to make a proper goodbyes.

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It's sad to learn this information this way and a pity they didn't have the chance to proper say goodbye. If by any chance you are still reding us, thank you for your amazing work all this time!

This is pure speculation on my part, but I think that Frontier can't just ignore the social media since they need to promote the games they make, be it Planet Zoo or any other game. I imagine they are changing from having in-house community managers to use an outsource company or something like that, which is a pity, but it doesn't mean that the end of the game is closer. If they have to reduce costs, outsourcing some of the tasks is a common practice nowadays. I would recommend everyone who has an issue with anything in the game to report it on the issue tracker, since we don't know who's reading the forum now.

 

[NachoB]

Yes exactly, and my theory for next year is that we will get the two remaining bears as well.

Scratch that. Now i'm not even sure we'll even get another DLC lol

 

[NZFanatic]

Is it really "Impossible" of implementing flying birds to Planet Zoo?

Of course it's not impossible. But whether or not it was "possible" hasn't been in question for some time.

 

[RightWhale]

Well that’s not great news to hear before Christmas.

I hope that the Community Managers find new jobs ASAP! They were the face of this game for me, and deserve all the support they need. I’m gonna miss the special livestreams.

While it’s possible we could get more dlc in the future, I got to be honest now I am really not so sure. They did state in a financial report they would continue to support Planet Zoo, maybe they are hemorrhaging staff to keep the doors open? Maybe Frontier took on too many projects for them to handle and unfortunately the staff has to pay for it.

Still based on the report I think it’s likely the game can get more dlc, just don’t be surprised if it comes out a lot more quietly. I never got the feeling that Eurasia would be the last pack. I really hope this is not an Irish Goodbye for Planet Zoo.

 

[RightWhale]

I was thinking about how many more potential packs we could get for the upcoming year, but maybe Frontier is doing a lot worse than we all thought.

 

[VHAGAR]

I think they fired him, because he must be planning a new team to create a sequel.
Regarding DLC, I think only one or two will be released (the ones that were already in the oven).

Heads roll to replace them.

 

[jcp011c]

It's kind of weird ...if Frontier isn't on solid ground, understanding that Planet Zoo is likely coming to an end soon, but yet one of the recent reports had them mentioned several releases (untitled) coming out in the next 2-3 years. It seems very conflicting information. But then again we only are reactive to what information we're getting and then pulling speculation from it.

 

[NZFanatic]

It seems very conflicting information.

It's not. One of the most common strategies to reinvigorate a flailing business is new product, but in any case the new games have likely been planned for some time. The idea being that new product = new customers. I think there's this common misconception that the small, core group of fans is what provides the bread and butter to Frontier, when in fact we're but a drop in the ocean. Simulation games especially heavily rely on casual gamers who aren't looking for something geared towards a story to play, but rather something to do in their spare time (a creative outlet, a place to relax and unwind - people who basically get home from work, boot up Planet Whatever, and build something before dinner).

 

[CharlieXGaming]

I feel like we should change this thread from “Spring DLC Speculation” to “Will we get a Spring DLC?”

 

[jcp011c]

I feel like we should change this thread from “Spring DLC Speculation” to “Will we get a Spring DLC?”

I refuse to give up hope for at least one more DLC. I mean, until it's April and we've still heard nothing, though I'll have bitten my nails all the way down by the time March is over with.

 

[paul78]

I doubt the Eurasia pack was the last pack. I definitely feel the end is near but I’m doubtful just yet. I do think we could see strictly animal packs from here on out though. PC did the same but that’s just speculation. Definitely feel bad for the people who were let go. Unfortunately this has become all too common in all companies nowadays. Bad decisions were made but accountability tends to fall people who weren’t really involved. I think a lot of companies got to comfortable with the pandemic as it provided many companies with unrealistic and unsustainable profits there for creating a false sense of security. Anyway I do feel frontier has one of the most talented gaming companies out there when their focusing on games that capitalize on their talents. Frontiers bread and butter has always been simulation and it’s something their darn good at. I’m optimistic frontier will rebound in time but it will probably get worse before it gets better.

 

[Milurian]

Will the CM situation actually influence the content though? We may not get to see any more livestreams, but the content should, in an ideal world, still come, right?

It will definitely be sad to have to see them go, and we won’t get as much awesome community engagement, but that doesn’t really affect the outflow of content. Things aren’t looking good right now for Frontier, and I hope that everyone impacted by the layoffs will do well and find something else that they‘re happy with.

They might go back to how the dlc were teased before europe which will be sad because the livestreams were always so fun. The real problem is that it shows a shift away from planet zoo whether this was intentional or not it will have affects on the amount of content we get. Keep in mind we only see the loss of public frontier staff who knows what the actual development team is looking like.

I'm gonna be honest. Is it really "Impossible" of implementing flying birds to Planet Zoo?

I know that freeflight it's more tricky, but I'm refering to a flying bird on it's essence, even if is from WE. Macaws, toucans, etc.
I'm saying this because recently a mod of a toucan was launched on nexus, and I gotta say that it is amazing. I couldn't believe what my eyes saw on that mod, it was like if Frontier made them! Even the animations (based on a freacking wolverine) are similar to a real toucan! Is it really that complicated of implementing them?
If a modder can do this, I'm 100% sure Frontier can.

If the next dlc is a Latin-America themed one, we need to see at least 1 bird, and if it's possible, a parrot.

In the walkthrough exhibits it is 100% possible they just havent free flying birds thats more unclear but my guess is its not possible.

Fewer customisation options has got to be the least agreeable (to me of course) suggestion I’ve heard in my entire time on this forum

It seriously is the whole selling point of planet zoo was the customisation compared to past zoo games and its not like the give you nothing there are a ton of frontier blueprints and workshop blueprints as well as whole zoos. The worst thing they could possibly do to a sequel is remove the customisation entirely

 

[Spartan_Squat]

Its sad to see CM leaving, I hope the best for them in the future. But I want to be pessimistic but this could be an indication of no livestream for future updates and dlcs? Maybe before easter 2024 we will have new CMs. So time will tell.

 

[Captain Callum]

I feel like we should change this thread from “Spring DLC Speculation” to “Will we get a Spring DLC?”

I think we are getting too ahead of ourselves for now, patience is required until Spring.

 

[Marvinb]

Im gonna be honest if there is one thing that will keep me from getting a Potential PZ2 its less building options and a more Zoo Tycoon style game.
Its whats makes Planet zoo one of my favorite games. And to see a successor go down the zoo Tycoon route would be a Nightmare