Can Bruxish be shiny in Pokemon GO? (March 2023)

Bruxish made its Pokemon GO debut alongside Mega Medicham as part of this year's Festival of Colors. The creature can currently be found in the wild and in one-star raids. However, it will likely rotate out of raids once the event concludes on March 14, 2023.

As a new inclusion on the ever-expanding roster of the game, some trainers are likely wondering if Bruxish has a shiny form available to catch.

According to Niantic's official posts surrounding the Festival of Colors, Bruxish's shiny form isn't currently available in Pokemon GO. However, this doesn't mean that the developers aren't planning to include it at a later date.

Pokemon GO players know this well by now, but Niantic likes to hold on to some shiny forms as an incentive.

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When can shiny Bruxish be expected to arrive in Pokemon GO?

Shiny Bruxish's art as of Generation IX (Image via Grungy Gaming/YouTube)

For newer players who may not know, it can be somewhat common for a species to be introduced to Pokemon GO but have its shiny form held out at first. There are certainly exceptions in some cases, but many Pokemon didn't receive their shiny variants until some time after their initial release. This likely happens for several reasons, but one of the most notable stems from Niantic's plans for future events.

Shiny forms are an excellent means of enticing trainers to play events, particularly Spotlight Hours and Community Days, as well as many other themed events, depending on which Pokemon are placed in the spotlight. While some trainers may not be interested in a particular shiny, one they're striving for can be a deal-breaker for event participation.

Granted, this doesn't always work out as Niantic intends. However, incentivizing players with shinies, Mega Evolutions, new forms, and other additions has been a part of Pokemon GO's content strategy for some time.

This content strategy has surely ruffled some feathers within the game's community. Some players have accused Niantic of being greedy due to its willingness to hang shiny Pokemon over the heads of fans to get them to participate in events and even spend money if they don't get what they're looking for right away.

Coupled with the increased Pokecoin pricing for many items and the decision to place some featured Pokemon behind research tickets or event passes, many players have had bones to pick with Niantic.

Whatever the case, the developers' content release strategy doesn't appear to be changing. With that in mind, though, no confirmation date has been announced for the release of shiny Bruxish.

Pokemon GO players may expect shiny Bruxish to appear during a future event. Since Bruxish was just released in the Festival of Colors, it may be quite some time before an event includes it and its shiny form, but it's a possibility moving forward in 2023.

This is all speculation, as it's also possible that Niantic will hold back on Bruxish's shiny form for the foreseeable future.