Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN 2-0 Invictus Gaming — LPL 2026 Results & Stats

TL;DR: Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN swept Invictus Gaming 2-0 in the LPL 2026, surviving an early Game 1 deficit before crushing the closer. NIPCare supplied the series-defining carry play, while NIP’s adaptable teamfighting turned a narrow pre-series call into an emphatic statement.

Key Takeaways

• NIPCare was the series MVP: his Yone went 5/1/7 in Game 1, then his Locke exploded for 12/2/4 in Game 2, providing 17 kills across the sweep.
• The decisive swing came when NIPGuwon turned a -986 GoldDiff@15 on Maokai into 92% kill participation in Game 1; NIP converted that resilience into a 9-4 tower advantage.
• Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN won the series 2-0 after a competitive 20-17 Game 1 lasting 36:40, then removed all doubt with a 27-9 rout in only 23:40.

Before the Series

Invictus Gaming entered with a narrow pre-match edge, listed at 53.5% by Polymarket in the earlier projection, but Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN had their own persuasive case: an 18W-12L (60.0%) record and a recent 2-1 victory over IG. The crucial question was whether Photic, carrying a 7.8 KDA, 82.4% kill participation, and 31.6% damage share before the match, could turn lane economy into a series-winning advantage.

The meta also placed Vi under a bright spotlight. With 53.1% presence and 55.2% WR in 145G, the prediction was that the champion could shape the jungle battle. Orianna, meanwhile, remained the draft tax at 83.7% presence and a 69.3% ban rate, while the collapse of Rumble from 73.3% to 14.3% WR across 14G made comfort-pick dependence risky.

Game 1 — Setting the Tone

The opener did not look like a sweep at first. IGWei built a +986 gold lead at 15 on Naafiri, and IGMeiko added 3/2/9 on Karma with a +531 advantage. Invictus Gaming had the early map pressure their composition promised, forcing NIP to prove that its victory would be earned rather than gifted.

That proof came through poise. NIPGuwon finished 1/5/11 despite his early jungle deficit, and his 92% kill participation showed how often he was present when the game mattered. NIPCare made those moments count with a composed 5/1/7 and 12.00 KDA on Yone, while NIPPhotic recovered on Yunara for 3/4/8 and a +370 lane lead. NIP’s Anivia and Maokai control turned close fights into space, then space into towers. The 20-17 kill score was tight; the 9-4 tower count was the real verdict.

Game 2 — The Pivot

Game 1 gave Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN belief, but Game 2 showed what that belief could become. Rather than allowing IG to reset the series, NIP accelerated every messy skirmish into a favorable exchange. NIPGuwon’s Poppy posted 2/1/16, repeatedly denying the clean routes Invictus Gaming needed to start fights.

That made the Vi prediction a qualified failure. The pick appeared, exactly as forecast, but IGWei’s 4/7/3 could not deliver the repeated engage pressure suggested by its strong meta profile. Poppy made entries dangerous, and NIPHOYA’s Jayce punished every exposed target with 6/3/7.

The finishing force was overwhelming. NIPfengyue recorded 2/1/19 and a 21.00 KDA on Seraphine, supplying the stable teamfight anchor, while NIPCare’s 12/2/4 on Locke transformed control into kills. The final gold total, 54.2k to 41.0k, was a 13.2k gulf: not a late-game squeeze, but a complete snowball that left IG unable to defend its base.

Aftermath

This 2-0 was more than two wins. Ninjas in Pyjamas.CN answered the pre-series doubt in two distinct ways: first by absorbing IG’s best early punch, then by making their own pressure impossible to survive. Photic remained an important stabilizing carry in the wider NIP structure, but the series belonged to NIPCare, whose mid-lane impact gave every NIP fight a finishing edge.

Polymarket Trajectory

The market began essentially undecided, with the pre-match series price split evenly, and that uncertainty accurately reflected how competitive Game 1 became. At draft close, NIP’s modest 52% Game 1 edge was closer to a coin flip than a declaration, yet NIP validated it by winning the long, contested opener. The meaningful correction arrived after that result, when NIP rose to 70% for the series: the market recognized that their comeback had revealed more composure than IG’s early advantage. It still treated Game 2 as another near-even contest at draft close, which underestimated the practical effect of NIP’s control tools. Earlier, the signal was NIP’s recent 2-1 win and the danger of relying on Vi engage into Poppy disruption.

Series Stats

FAQ

*Odds via Polymarket, 2026-08-22 11:50 UTC.*