Pokemon Go's Lunar New Year Event Will Add a New Shiny to the Game

This week, Pokemon Go's Lunar New Year event will kick-off, and it will see Shiny Litleo obtainable in the game for the very first time! The event will begin on February 1st at 10 a.m. local time, and will run through February 7th at 8 p.m. During the event, players can expect an increased chance of getting a Lucky Pokemon via trades, double Stardust from gifts, an increased chance of becoming a Lucky Friend, and one extra Special Trade each day. The following Pokemon will be found in the wild during the event:

• Litleo
• Paras
• Meowth
• Growlithe
• Voltorb
• Hisuian Voltorb
• Magikarp
• Torchic
• Electabuzz
• Combusken
• Gyarados

Hisuian Voltorb's presence in the Lunar New Year event should be good news to those that haven't caught the new Pokemon just yet! The variant from the Hisui region was surprise released in Pokemon Go this past Sunday, just two days after debuting in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The Pokemon was accompanied by new Special Research tasks, which were available for a limited amount of time.

Completing Field Research over the next few days will result in encounters with Litleo, Magikarp, Darumaka, Espurr, and both the Galarian and Alolan variants for Meowth. Players can also earn Mega Gyarados Energy, as well. Timed Research will be available, which Niantic says will center on "catching and friendship." Encounters with Litleo and Espurr can be earned through this method.

That's a lot of opportunities for players to potentially encounter Shiny Litleo, but there's more! Players will have a chance of hatching one from 7km Eggs, and Litleo will also appear in One-Star Raids. If players are unable to obtain a Shiny Litleo during the event, it's worth noting that the variant will remain a permanent part of the game after, as we saw with Shiny Hoothoot last month. The Lunar New Year event just might make things a little easier, given the sheer number of methods that will be available to players!

Are you looking forward to the Lunar New Year event in Pokemon Go? Did you have a chance to catch a Hisuian Voltorb yet? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!