Pokemon Go Lunar New Year 2022 Event, start time, shiny Litleo and more

The Pokemon Go Lunar New Year event will let you catch a shiny Litleo and a Hisuian Voltorb if you to add them to your collection. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, and while Niantic and the Pokemon Go aren’t ready to add the Litten line into the game, the popular mobile game will spotlight Litleo in the upcoming Lunar New Year event.

For seven days, Pokemon Go trainers will see Shiny Litleo make its debut and have a chance to catch plenty of red-colored Pokemon including the recently-added Hisuian Voltorb. 

Along with the new Pokemon, trainers can enjoy in-game bonuses and complete special Field and Timed Research to earn Mega Energy and powerful Pokemon as rewards. We’ve compiled this handy guide to get trainers through the upcoming week of festivities including when the Pokemon Go Lunar New Year 2022 event starts and ends, as well as tips to finding a Shiny Litleo.

Pokemon Go Lunar New Year 2022 Event Start Time 

Pokemon Go Lunar New Year

(Image credit: Niantic)

The Pokemon Go Lunar New Year 2022 event begins Tuesday, February 1 at 10 a.m. local time and ends Monday, February 7 at 8 p.m. local time.

During this event, trainers can earn double Stardust from opening Gifts and there’s an increased chance to become Lucky Friends. Trainers will also have an increased chance for Lucky Pokemon in trade and they can make one extra special trade per day.

How to Catch Shiny Litleo 

Litleo has been in Pokemon Go for a little while, but to celebrate the Lunar New Year the Fire and Normal-type Pokemon from the Kalos region will have its Shiny form available for the first time.

Like many of these events, Litleo will be appearing more frequently in the wild. Litleo will appear randomly in the wild, but trainers who want to find more during the event can either use an Incense to attract Pokemon to their location. However, another tried-and-true method is to walk to where there are Gyms and PokeStops. Pokemon tend to congregate in these areas.

However, there are other ways trainers will be able to find and catch Litleo. The Fire-type will be appearing in one-star Raids during the event. Trainers won’t know if they’ve found a Shiny Litleo until after it’s defeated and they enter the catching section. 

Veteran trainers know that they can only pick up one free Raid Pass per day by visiting a Raid. Premium Raid Passes are available to purchase for 100 PokeCoins each in the in-game shop that allows trainers to enter Raid battles. Remote Raid Passes are also available for 100 PokeCoins each that allows trainers to enter a Raid from anywhere. There is a deal for three Remote Raid Passes for 250 PokeCoins.

Litleo will also be hatching from 7km Eggs that are picked up from Friend Gifts during the event. 

And finally, Litleo will be available as a reward for completing certain Field Research Task, but we’ll get into that in the next section.

Pokemon Go Lunar New Year 2022 Event Field Research 

Exclusive Field Research will be available for trainers who spin PokeStops during the event. These special tasks will reward trainers with exclusive rewards as well as Pokemon. This will be a great chance to find a Shiny Litleo as well as Alolan and Galarian Meowth, Magikarp, Darumaka and Espurr. 

Some Field Research will also reward Mega Gyarados Energy. Here’s the full list of tasks and rewards for the Lunar New Year 2022 event.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Lunar New Year Event Field Research
TaskReward
Make 3 Curveball throwsVoltorb
Send 3 GiftsMagikarp
Catch 5 PokemonDarumaka
Win a RaidEspurr
Send 3 gifts and a sticker to eachLitleo
Trade a PokemonLitleo
Catch 5 PokemonMega Gyarados Energy (x25)
Hatch an EggGalarian Meowth

There will also be Timed Research that will reward Litleo and Espurr, among other things. 

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Friendship Challenge
TaskReward
Send 5 Gifts and add a sticker to eachTorchic
Trade 3 Pokemon with a friendCorphish
Send 15 Gifts to friendsDarumaka
Send Gifts 3 days in a rowEncounter

Completion rewards

  • Encounter
  • Stardust (x1000)
  • 1000xp
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Catch Challenge
TaskReward
Catch 10 PokemonPoke Ball (x10)
Catch 25 PokemonGreat Ball (x25)
Catch 25 Fire-type PokemonUltra Ball (x20)
Catch 10 different species of PokemonLitleo

Completion rewards

  • Espurr
  • Stardust (x1000)
  • 1000xp

What Pokemon to catch during Lunar New Year 2022 Event 

Litleo will be appearing more frequently in the wild but it’s not the only Pokemon. Paras, Meowth, Growlithe, Voltorb, Hisuian Voltorb, Magikarp and Torchic will be around in the overworld. 

Electabuzz, Gyarados and Combusken also have a chance to appear in the wild. 

As for Raids, the following Pokemon will be appearing in different Raids during the Lunar New Year event:

  • One-Star: Magikarp, Shinx, Darumaka, Litleo, Espurr
  • Three-Star: Charizard, Flareon, Shuckle, Delcatty, Absol, Druddigon
  • Five-Star: Regirock
  • Mega Raid: Mega Houndoom

Litleo, Shuckle, Slugma, Darumaka and Scraggy will be hatching from 7km Eggs during the event. These Eggs can only be obtained by opening Friend Gifts. 

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Phillip Martinez

I'm currently a GamesRadar guide contributor with a specialty in everything Pokemon GO. If you've wanted to know the best way to take down a Rayquaza, there's a good chance you read one of my guides. I previously have written for IBT Media, Newsweek and Screen Rant. I'm a huge fighting game fan and everything Pokemon, but I've grown to love RPGs.