Why Helioptile can't be shiny in Pokemon GO

Making its Pokemon GO debut during the upcoming Power Plant event, Helioptile and its evolution, Heliolisk will be obtainable on January 19, 2022 at 10:00am local time.

As with many Pokemon that have been introduced throughout the game's tenure, many trainers are curious as to whether Helioptile has a shiny form available. Sadly, this isn't yet the case, and Helioptile/Heliolisk's shiny forms will not appear as of now when this Electric/Normal-type Pokemon is encountered.

Shiny Helioptile possesses a deep red body and lower face compared to its original iteration, but players will have to wait for the Pokemon's shiny form to debut after its initial release.

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Why can't Pokemon GO's Helioptile be shiny yet?

Helioptile's shiny form in Pokemon Sword & Shield (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Niantic's content philosophy is partly responsible for the lack of a shiny form as of now. This is done in the interest of spacing out content and keeping players motivated.

If Helioptile and its shiny form are released at the same time during the same event, trainers have less incentive to search the Pokemon out at later dates. By releasing shiny Helioptile at a later date, (likely during an event) this appearance incentivizes players to return and track down Helioptile once more.

As a mobile title, Pokemon GO is constantly releasing content on a relatively concise schedule. In order to fill gaps between events or to round out these events in earnest, adding a shiny form here and there can top off a given content release.

It's unclear as to when Helioptile may have its shiny form released, but suffice to say that it will be at a later time. Since the game's Season of Heritage is well underway, it's possible that Helioptile's shiny release may come about before the end of the current season, but Niantic has yet to disclose any information on the subject.

All the same, trainers should keep an eye out for future events and release announcements on Niantic's Pokemon GO blog. The developer typically announces major content implementations through this blog, including shiny forms being implemented and upcoming events slated to arrive.

It's not an ideal situation for trainers hoping to catch the Generator Pokemon's shiny form, but hopefully Niantic makes their shiny release plans for Helioptile clear in the immediate future.