The Houston Outlaws went to back to their recent past for help in the immediate future.

The Outlaws have added Jacob "JAKE" Lyon to their roster for the 2021 Overwatch League season, the franchise announced Thursday.

JAKE, 24, had retired from competitive play following the 2019 Overwatch League season, and even had his jersey retired by the Outlaws, the organization for which he played.

But in a social media post, JAKE said his hiatus has rekindled his love for the game. He expects to play a bench role for the team and help by offering his experience to the rest of the roster.

"Honestly, I badly needed the break last season to recharge and reset. I've changed my eating, exercise, sleeping, and even practice habits," JAKE wrote. "To be honest, I feel that right now I'm the best I've ever been in-game but even more so outside of it.

"That's why I feel both ready and really excited to take this next step in my career. Although I'm returning as a rostered player, my real focus this season is going to be on coaching and helping the entire team be the best we can be," he added.

JAKE began competitive Overwatch play in college, and earned a spot at Hammers Esports. That team was purchased by Luminosity Gaming, and he played for one of that organizations teams, LG Evil. JAKE also landed a spot on the United States 2017 World Cup roster, which he turned into a position with the Outlaws.

JAKE played for the Outlaws during the league's first two seasons, in 2018-19.

A Flex DSP player, JAKE will be able to fill in gaps where needed for the Outlaws, who finished 16th in the overall OWL standings in 2020 with a 6-15 record.

--Field Level Media