'Pokemon Go' Won't Be Playable in Rio During 2016 Olympic Games

In the United States and more than 30 other countries, the mobile craze that is Pokemon Go has captivated gamers as they try to catch and collect their favorite fictional creatures. 

But for athletes and sporting fans who are making their way to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics beginning on August 5, their quest to "catch 'em all" will have to wait until they leave Brazil. The game is not playable in the country yet, per the Associated Press, via ESPN.com.  

Joe Clarke, who will be canoeing for the British national team, showed what his character was looking at near some of the Olympic venues in Rio:

The game could have provided a new way for athletes to interact, per New Zealand soccer player Anna Green: "I wish I could run around in the [athletes'] village catching Pokemon. I just can't get it on the phone. It's fine, but it would have been something fun to do."

However, the AP noted that rumors are swirling on social media that the game could be released in Brazil on Sunday. 

At least in Rio, there doesn't seem to be opposition in bringing the game to its inhabitants—permanent or temporary—as Mayor Eduardo Paes pleaded with Nintendo on Facebook to bring Pokemon Go to the city:

"Everybody is coming here. You should also come!" the AP translated from his Facebook post. 

It would be a small, somewhat trivial bit of good news for Rio, as the locale contends with a multitude of problems including subpar living conditions for the athletes, security issues and the Zika virus.