It’s an Outrage: No Pokemon Go at Rio Olympics, Athletes Upset

The famous augmented reality game that took US, New Zealand and Australia by storm is yet to be launched in Brazil.

Pokemon Go is displayed on a cell phone. (Photo: AP)

So the plumbing and electricity in the athletes’ village took several days to fix. Who cares? But no “Pokemon Go”? That’s an outrage! If there were ever a more “First World problem” for the Zika-plagued, water-polluted Rio Olympics, it’s Brazil’s lack of access to the hit mobile game, which has united players the world over.

Since debuting to wild adulation in the US, Australia and New Zealand in July, the game from Google spinoff Niantic Inc has spread like wildfire, launching in more than 30 countries or territories — but not Brazil.

Athletes Tweet Their Misery

For athletes and other visitors caught up in the wave, not having access is just one more knock against an Olympics that officials are racing to get ready for. The opening ceremony takes place next Friday.

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.

Anna Green, Footballer, New Zealand 

What will she do instead? “Train,” she replied.

Niantic didn’t reply to a request for comment on when the game might be released in Brazil. And though social media rumours point to a Sunday release for the game, similar rumours in Japan resulted in heightened expectations and the sense of delay before its debut there last week. This week, British canoer Joe Clarke tweeted with a broken-hearted sad face.

Players with the app already downloaded elsewhere appear to be able to see a digital map of their surroundings when they visit Rio. But without PokeStops or Pokemon, the game isn’t much fun.

It would be like getting on a football field but not having a ball to kick or goals to defend.

Rio Mayor Urges Nintendo to Launch Pokemon Go

Many competitors in the athletes’ village took it in stride, though. Canadian field hockey player Matthew Sarmento said it would give him more time to meet other athletes. But he would have welcomed Pokemon during downtime in competition.

Sometimes it’s good to take your mind off the important things and let yourself chill.

Matthew Sarmento, Field Hockey, Canada

In countries like the US, PokeStops are being used to attract living, breathing customers. In San Francisco, for example, dozens of bars, restaurants and coffee shops have set up lures that attract rare Pokemon, along with potential new patrons looking to catch them.

Screengrab of the game “Pokemon Go”. (Photo: AP)

That’s presumably one reason why Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes – plagued by a host of bad news from player robberies to faulty plumbing – urged Niantic investor Nintendo to release the game in Brazil.

“Everybody is coming here. You should also come!” Paes wrote in Portuguese on his Facebook page , adding the hashtag #PokemonGoNoBrasil — “Pokemon Go” in Brazil. The Olympics kick off next Friday. Will Pikachu be there to witness it? The world is watching with baited Poke-breath.