In Planet Zoo 2, Accreditation controls which animals you can unlock as your conservation network grows. Career and Franchise modes have different Accreditation requirements, so progress in one doesn’t automatically carry over to the other.
Here’s how Accreditation works in both modes and how you unlock each tier. I’ll also cover the rewards for all five Career tiers, plus what to try if your progress gets stuck or animals keep vanishing from the Franchise Market.
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How to Increase Accreditation in Planet Zoo 2
You unlock more tiers in Career Accreditation with the medals you earn in scenario zoos and Wildlife Reserves. In Franchise Mode, though, it’s different. Franchise Accreditation tiers depend on your Zoo Reputation and reserves’ Biodiversity Rating instead.
If you want to see what you need next, just open Planet View and check the Accreditation tab. It’s worth checking the requirements there before you waste your time in the wrong place.
If you can’t even access Franchise Mode to check your progress, our Planet Zoo 2 Franchise Mode not working guide covers server errors and loading issues.
Planet Zoo 2 Accreditation: Unlock Tiers and Rewards
There are five Accreditation tiers in both Career and Franchise, but the two modes have different unlock requirements. In Career, you level up when you earn medals in the scenario zoos and Wildlife Reserves. However, in Franchise, you level up when you raise your Zoo Reputation and the Biodiversity Rating.
Here’s exactly what each tier asks for and what you unlock once you hit it.
Career Mode Accreditation Tiers and Rewards
In Career Mode, earn Bronze and Silver medals from scenario zoos and Wildlife Reserves to increase Accreditation. Each tier unlocks new animal species with additional rewards including Career scenarios and animal storage.
| Accreditation Level | Career Medal Requirements | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Starting tier | 33 species in Trading |
| Tier 2 | 2 Bronze, 1 Silver | 38 species, All A-Fjord (Nordic Fjords) |
| Tier 3 | 7 Bronze, 1 Silver | 35 species, Mine Your Business (Sumatra Reserve) |
| Tier 4 | 12 Bronze, 2 Silver | 30 species, Mola Money, Mola Problems (Maluku Islands), 50 extra animal storage slots |
| Tier 5 | 18 Bronze, 2 Silver | 50 extra animal storage slots |
Franchise Mode Accreditation Tiers and Rewards
In Franchise Mode, Accreditation is based on your Zoo Reputation and the Biodiversity Ratings of your Wildlife Reserves instead of medals. When you hit the higher tiers, it unlocks extra animal species, more Marketing slots, etc.
| Accreditation Level | Unlock Requirements | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | No requirement | 32x Species, Observation Platform, +1 Bronze Marketing Slot |
| Tier 2 | 1 Zoo with 3 Reputation Stars | 33x Species, Camera Trap, +2 Bronze Marketing Slots |
| Tier 3 | 2 Zoos with 3 Reputation Stars, 1 Wildlife Reserve with 3 Biodiversity Rating Stars | 31x Species, Acoustic Monitor, +1 Bronze Marketing Slot, +1 Silver Marketing Slot |
| Tier 4 | 2 Zoos with 4 Reputation Stars, 2 Wildlife Reserves with 4 Biodiversity Rating Stars | 30x Species, +1 Bronze Marketing Slot, +1 Silver Marketing Slot, +50 Animal Storage |
| Tier 5 | 2 Zoos with 5 Reputation Stars, 3 Wildlife Reserves with 5 Biodiversity Rating Stars | 10x Species, +1 Silver Marketing Slot, +1 Gold Marketing Slot |
Does Career Accreditation Carry Over to Franchise?
No, Career and Franchise have completely separate Accreditation progression. This means animals you unlock in Career are still locked in Franchise and vice versa. Players have been wondering about this.
You don’t have to finish Career before jumping into Franchise either. However, if you just want to build with every animal available from the get-go, then you don’t have to bother with unlocks in either mode. Sandbox Mode is there to give you the full roster and all the regions from the start.
Planet Zoo 2 Accreditation Not Leveling Up? Try This
First, open the Accreditation tab and double-check if you’ve actually hit every single requirement listed. If the tier still won’t go up after that, fully close Planet Zoo 2 and relaunch it.
I found a possible workaround in this Reddit thread where a couple of players had this issue. They tried closing and relaunching the game and it worked for them. I have to reiterate that it’s just a player-found workaround, not anything official, so no guarantees.
Another player also ran into an issue with Release Groups that wouldn’t finalize even though they met all the conditions, which, in fact, was holding them back from Tier 3. That thread didn’t have a solid fix. If you’re stuck with something like that, the best move is to report it on Frontier’s Issue Tracker and include the exact steps to reproduce it. That’s a good way to bring the issue to the devs’ attention.
Why Are Franchise Animals Locked or Missing?
An animal locked behind a higher Accreditation tier is different from an unlocked animal that isn’t available in the market. On October 13, Frontier said the Franchise Market shortages and connection errors were just from the huge launch rush. They were adding more server capacity, but they didn’t say the fix was done yet.
If you’re still dealing with missing animals, a few players from this thread recommended turning on Hide Locked Species and the cash-only filters, then refreshing the market. Surprisingly, some players managed to buy animals that way. Those filters don’t magically create stock if there isn’t any, though, and if you refresh, it won’t get around a real Accreditation lock either.
So check your tier requirements first. If you’ve already met the goals but they’re not registering, try a full restart of the game.
So, in short, before you spend a few hours trying to unlock your favorite animal, check the Accreditation tab to see what you’re missing. If you’ve met the requirements but your tier won’t budge, restart the game. If an unlocked animal still isn’t showing up in the Franchise Market, the problem might be availability rather than Accreditation. No need to rebuild your entire zoo just yet.
Planet Zoo 2
