Colossal Gaming’s Lulu-Led Upset Sets the EM Tone

TL;DR: Given only a 15% chance by the market, Colossal Gaming overturned expectations against SU Esports in a patient 28:19 win. Shredder’s Lulu anchored the attrition game with a 19.00 KDA, while Yunara supplied the finishing damage. The upset showed how disciplined protection and execution could outweigh the market’s confidence in SU.

Key Takeaways

• Colossal Gaming won despite the market’s 15% pre-game estimate, making the opener an upset that immediately challenged expectations.
• Shredder finished on Lulu with a 19.00 KDA, using protection and utility to help keep Colossal’s carries in the fight.
• xHikama dealt 30.0% of Colossal Gaming’s damage on Yunara, turning sustained teamfighting into the decisive threat.

Trading Blows

The numbers describe a tense, attrition-led game rather than a clean early stomp. Across 28:19, SU Esports collected 3 kills and 1 dragon, but neither side took a tower or Baron. Colossal finished with 10.3k gold to SU’s 13.1k, a 2.8k deficit, yet the smaller kill count did not prevent its composition from controlling the decisive exchanges.

SU’s strongest damage source was Vetheo, whose Ahri posted 5/4/2 and dealt 34.4% of his team’s damage. That pressure made the game dangerous for Colossal, while Kaboom’s Jarvan IV added 2/5/5. But SU’s limited 3-kill total left little room to convert its gold and dragon into a broader objective lead.

The Deciding Factor

The live draft model favored Colossal Gaming at 50%, and that edge did materialize in-game—not as an obvious early advantage, but through the way its pieces supported one another. Shredder’s Lulu recorded 1/1/18, a 19.00 KDA that captures her constant involvement and rare deaths. Her protection helped sustain the team through the slow exchanges.

That support gave xHikama’s Yunara time to become the finisher: 11/2/3, with 30.0% of Colossal’s damage. Jeykup also made the fight difficult to break, ending on Xin Zhao with 1/2/15. Together, their numbers show how Colossal converted drawn-out fights into a win despite trailing in gold.

What Made the Difference

Colossal’s path was not a towering objective lead: both teams ended on 0 towers and 0 Barons, and SU alone secured a dragon. Instead, the difference was the resilience of Colossal’s lineup when fights stretched on. SkaR’s K'Sante went 3/0/10, providing a durable frontline, while Sharon’s Syndra added 3/4/5 and 20.6% of the team’s damage.

That combination blunted SU’s opportunities to turn its gold advantage into a decisive map advantage. In this EM opener, Colossal won by surviving the pressure, protecting its primary carry, and making each extended exchange count.

Polymarket Market

At draft close, the market gave Colossal Gaming 15% and SU Esports 85%, so the eventual winner was the clear upset. The result suggests the market did not anticipate how effectively Colossal could protect Yunara or how much sustained value Lulu would bring to drawn-out fights. The model’s 50% lean toward Colossal proved closer to the game’s actual balance, though the 2.8k gold deficit shows the win was not built on a straightforward economic advantage. This result closes the series at Colossal Gaming 1-0 SU Esports; the full series-market wrap-up belongs in the series recap.

FAQ

*Odds via Polymarket, 2026-09-29 17:14 UTC.*