The 2018 Houston Outlaws season was the first season of the
Houston Outlaws
The Houston Outlaws are an American professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Houston, Texas. The Outlaws compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region.
Founded in 2017, Houston Outlaws is one of the lea ...
's existence in the
Overwatch League
The Overwatch League (OWL) is a professional esports league for the video game '' Overwatch'', produced by its developer, Blizzard Entertainment. The Overwatch League follows the model of other traditional North American professional sporting l ...
. Outlaws qualified for the Stage 1 playoffs but fell to the
London Spitfire
London Spitfire is a professional ''Overwatch'' team representing the city of London, United Kingdom. The Spitfire compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, London Spitfire is one of the le ...
in the semifinals. The team did not qualify finished with a regular season record of 22–18, missing the season playoffs.
Preceding offseason
On October 31, 2017, Houston Outlaws announced their inaugural season roster, consisting of the following players:
*Matthew "Clockwork" Dias
*Lucas "Mendokusaii" Håkansson
*Jiri "LiNkzr" Masalin
*
Jake "Jake" Lyon
*Austin "Muma" Wilmot
*Matt "Coolmatt" Iorio
*Shane "Rawkus" Flaherty
*Christopher "Bani" Benell
*Daniel "Boink" Pence
*Alexandre "SPREE" Vanhomwegen
Regular season
Review
On January 11, the Outlaws played their first regular season Overwatch League match, a 3–2 loss to the
Philadelphia Fusion
Philadelphia Fusion is an American-based professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Fusion compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's East region. Founded in 2017, Philadelphia is one ...
. One week later, on January 17, Houston claimed their first victory after sweeping the
Shanghai Dragons
The Shanghai Dragons () are a professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Shanghai, China. The Dragons compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's East region. Founded in 2017, Shanghai Dragons are one of the league's ...
4–0. Houston went on to qualify for the Stage 1 playoffs but fell to the
London Spitfire
London Spitfire is a professional ''Overwatch'' team representing the city of London, United Kingdom. The Spitfire compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, London Spitfire is one of the le ...
in the semifinals.
Houston entered their last regular season match against the
New York Excelsior
The New York Excelsior (often stylized as NYXL) is an American professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in New York City, New York. The Excelsior compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017 ...
needing a win to keep their season playoff hopes alive. The Outlaws had a 2–1 lead after three matches, but New York won the next three straight to take the win 3–2. The team finished with a regular season record of 22–18.
Final roster
Transactions
Transactions of/for players on the roster during the 2018 regular season:
*On February 16, Outlaws signed Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell.
*On March 30, Outlaws signed Jung "ArHaN" Won-hyeop.
Standings
Record by stage
League
Game log
Preseason
Regular season
Playoffs
References
{{Houston Outlaws
2018 Overwatch League seasons by team
Houston Outlaws
The Houston Outlaws are an American professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Houston, Texas. The Outlaws compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region.
Founded in 2017, Houston Outlaws is one of the lea ...
Houston Outlaws seasons