Jacob “Jake” Lyon

USA

Role

Professional Overwatch Player

Jake Lyon is a California-born player in Blizzard's Overwatch League, playing for the Houston Outlaws. He is a lifelong gamer who began playing at the professional level at age 16. Lyon joined the professional Overwatch scene while he was at university.

Before Overwatch, he played a similar game called Team Fortress 2, a team-based, first-person shooter made by Valve. He quickly rose to the top of the leaderboards and, upon Overwatch's release, was in a great position to rise to the top of this new game.

Lyon played for Team USA in the 2017 Overwatch World Cup, and today is a prominent name in competitive Overwatch, often acting as the player ambassador for the Houston Outlaws and the Overwatch League as a whole. He is often invited by the press to discuss the world of esports and, more specifically, provide a pro player's perspective on different topics. Lyon was invited earlier this year to meet with the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, to provide him with an introduction to the world of esports. This meeting was followed by his participation in headlining panels at the inaugural IOC Esports Forum in Lausanne, where he educated the forum attendees about esports.

The speakers

Using the unique power of sport to bring people together, the Olympism in Action Forum saw a range of global players, including Olympic Movement stakeholders, athletes, private and public sector leaders, NGO representatives, academics, artists and the media come together to talk on topical contemporary issues. Chosen because of their ability to effect change and their wide range of sometimes differing opinions, the speakers led lively debates and seeked to challenge received wisdom to inspire new ways of thinking.