Street Fighter 6 at Brussels Challenge: The French Dominate

Kayne, who is a well-known DBFZ player, has encroached on Street Fighter territory and won his first tournament in the game against Street Fighter veteran Akainu. This meant that it was a Frenchman who was crowned champion of Brussels Challenge Major Edition 2023 giving the country a leg up in their rivalry against the English. 

The top 8 for this competition was an England vs France affair, as five of the top eight were from France, and the remaining three were from England. 

Top 8 For Brussels Challenge Major Edition 2023

Kayne's win is significant as it is his first major Street Fighter tournament and is an indicator of what players from other fighting games will be able to offer in this new setting. Kayne wasn't really troubled in his top 8 run even though his first opponent was none other than Evo 2019 winner, Problem X. Problem X's Lily has been a menace to everyone he has come up against and he was the favorite against Kayne. But, Kayne's Ken was up to the challenge and even when things went back and forth, he was able to get the crucial victory. 

He played another Englishman in JoKer JoKez and was also victorious there. 

The Grand Final saw him up against his countryman, Akainu who has been really impressive in Street Fighter 6 so far. If you recall, he was a last minute call up for Red Bull Kumite and to the surprise of some, was able to make it to Grand Final against eventual winner Big Bird.

At Brussels Challenge, he pulled off an impressive Losers' bracket run after suffering defeat to Problem X just before top 8. He then went on to defeat MysticSmash, Kilzyou, EndingWalker, and Problem X to make it to the finals. Akainu was in good form in the Grand Final and even defeated Kayne 3-0 to force a reset. However, he was once again on the losing side as he couldn't overcome Kayne a second time. 

Kayne was effusive in his thanks after the tournament and promised that he would do his best for the lifespan of Street Fighter 6 and DBFZ. He did mention that he wasn't sure what game to focus on for Evo but that he would be there. 

There are still a few tournaments this month, but the big one, Evo, is less than a month away and with over 7000 entrants for Street Fighter 6, it promises to be quite the event.