Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN Extend Their LPL Winning Run

TL;DR: Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN moved within one win of the LPL 2026 Season Grand Finals crown, taking a 0-2 series lead over EDward Gaming through a bot-lane recovery and decisive mid-game control. NIPPhotic overcame a -2013 lane deficit on Yunara, while NIPCare’s 12.00 KDA on Locke made the difference.

Key Takeaways

• Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN won the kill race 18-8, turning a controlled mid-game into their fifth straight victory.
• NIPPhotic finished 4/1/5 on Yunara despite -2013 gold at 15, proving that EDward Gaming’s early bot advantage did not become a lasting carry threat.
• NIPCare posted a 5/1/7 line and 12.00 KDA on Locke, converting a +1346 gold difference at 15 into the game’s most reliable source of pressure.

Early Game

EDward Gaming began with the kind of lane edge that could have changed the series. EDGLeave built +2013 gold at 15 on Caitlyn, giving his side a clear platform to pressure towers and punish a vulnerable opposing bot lane. Yet the early map did not fully belong to them: Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN matched the tempo around skirmishes and kept the game within reach.

The pre-draft warning around Jarvan IV proved only partly correct. EDGJiejie supplied engage and finished 1/3/5, but his -1388 gold difference showed how difficult it was to force fights on EDward Gaming’s terms. The predicted pick appeared, but it did not deliver the control required to unlock Caitlyn’s lead.

The Turning Point

The game swung when Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN stopped treating bot lane as a weakness and started treating it as bait. Yunara’s 4/1/5 score and 50% kill participation showed how efficiently she re-entered every important fight, even after surrendering so much early gold.

In mid, Locke’s 5/1/7 performance denied EDward Gaming any clean reset. The pre-match spotlight had fallen on EDGBuLLDoG, whose prior +412 lane figure and 31.0% damage share suggested swing potential, but his Zoe ended at 3/3/1 with -1346 gold at 15. Care’s actual lane advantage surpassed the pre-match +579 expectation and made the mid-game increasingly one-sided.

Closing Out

Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN closed the 30:10 game with 59.8k gold to 53.7k, eight towers to four, and an 18-8 kill score. EDward Gaming claimed three dragons to two, but neither side secured a Baron; instead, the winners dismantled the map through superior fight execution and tower pressure.

NIPHOYA’s Trundle delivered 6/3/6, repeatedly blunting Olaf’s split-push ambitions and ensuring EDward Gaming could not trade side-lane pressure for safety. Lulu’s 1/1/10 support line then gave the carries enough protection to finish the job, extending the winning run to five.

Polymarket Market

Polymarket read the result correctly: Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN were 66% favorites at draft close and delivered the expected outcome. The market had already leaned their way before the series, pricing Shenzhen NINJAS IN PYJAMAS at 74% against EDWARD GAMING’s 26%, and Game 1 reinforced that view. What the draft could not fully show was how well they would absorb Caitlyn’s early bot-lane advantage; the -2013 deficit did not prevent Yunara from becoming a decisive carry. After the win, the series price moved from 85% to 96% for Shenzhen NINJAS IN PYJAMAS, a +10.5pp jump that leaves EDward Gaming needing an immediate reversal.

Match Stats

FAQ

*Odds via Polymarket, 2026-08-28 07:48 UTC.*