Paul McNally has been around consoles and computers since his parents bought him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a prominent games journalist since the 1990s, spending over a decade as editor of popular print-based video games and computer magazines, including a market-leading PlayStation title. Paul has written high-end gaming content for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Magazine, PlayStation Pro, Amiga Action, Mega Action, ST Action, GQ, Loaded, and the The Mirror. He has also hosted panels at retro-gaming conventions and can regularly be found guesting on gaming podcasts and Twitch shows. Believing that the reader deserves actually to enjoy what they are reading is a big part of Paul’s ethos when it comes to gaming journalism, elevating the sites he works on above the norm.
Frontier appears to be making a brand new Planet game franchise and nobody knows what it is
By Paul McNally
Frontier Developments appears to have quietly confirmed its next major management sim, and it sounds like the Planet series is about to get a new satellite.
The news comes via Frontier’s latest trading update, which, let’s face it, is not for the likes of you and me. Hidden among the revenue figures and shareholder bro language, however, is a fairly interesting tease for fans of Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo.
According to Frontier, the studio is developing “a new own-IP CMS game” for FY28, with the goal of creating a new Planet franchise. CMS, in this case, refers to creative management simulation, which is the area Frontier has increasingly focused on after finding major success with the likes of Planet Coaster, Planet Zoo, and Jurassic World Evolution.
Frontier does not describe the project as Planet Zoo 3, Planet Coaster 3, or an expansion of an existing game. Instead, it specifically frames it as a new Planet franchise, suggesting the studio is preparing to take its cosy-but-complex management formula into a new setting. I’d like Planet Planet. Where you get to manage a solar system. Thank me later.
What that actual setting might be remains the fun question. Frontier has already covered theme parks and zoos, while the Jurassic World Evolution games sit in the popular “please stop the expensive monsters from eating the guests” lane. A resort management sim would probably fit neatly under the Planet banner, as would something like Planet Aquarium, Planet Museum, or even a broader city attraction sim built around several types of visitor destinations.
For now, though, that is all speculation. Frontier has not announced a title, platforms, release window, or gameplay details beyond the FY28 target and the fact it is part of the studio’s own IP plans.
The tease arrives as Frontier reports a strong year for its management sim strategy. The company said its FY26 revenue rose to £104.8 million, while adjusted operating profit hit £19 million. It also pointed to ongoing performance from Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo, alongside Jurassic World Evolution 3, as major drivers.
Before this mystery Planet game arrives, Frontier still has Planet Zoo 2 on the way. That sequel is currently scheduled to launch on 13 October 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, bringing aquatic and flying species, expanded simulation systems, and new Wildlife Reserves.
The studio also has Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Deathwatch in the pipeline for FY27, so the new Planet project is still likely some distance away.
Still, it is an interesting little breadcrumb. Frontier has spent the last few years making it very clear where its strengths are, and a fresh Planet game could be exactly the sort of safe-but-smart move that keeps its management sim empire ticking along nicely.
