Atkins, who has been with Warrington since 2010, joins Trinity for a second spell, having made a name for himself during a four-year stint from 2006!
The centre scored 49 tries in 96 appearances during that period and his form attracted interest from plenty of clubs.
He went on to have almost 10 seasons with Warrington, making 272 appearances for them and scoring a remarkable 165 tries.
Atkins has also had representative honours, featuring eight times for England.
The 33-year old, sponsored by Bluemalu, is looking forward to coming back to where his Super League career started:
“It’s just really exciting for me to be coming back to Wakefield, a club I’ve always held close to my heart,” said Atkins.
“I started my Super League career at Wakefield and enjoyed four great years there so I jumped at the chance to come back.
“Initially I thought it was for 2020 but the opportunity presented itself for me to join sooner and now I just can’t wait to get started.
“I’ve been out injured recently but things are looking up and I see the specialist on Monday where hopefully I get the all clear to get back on the field.
“The plan for me is to help the lads finish strong and try and push my way into the team for the final stages of the season.”
Head Coach, Chris Chester, is delighted to have Atkins on-board at this stage of the year:
“To get someone of Ryan’s quality in at an important stage of the season is a real big boost.
“I’m really happy with all four recruits we’ve brought in over the last week. Ryan certainly gives us some experience and he’ll provide some real competition and strength in the outside backs.”