# Kayane

Marie-Laure Norindr (born 17 June 1991 in Paris), also known as Kayane (/ˈkaɪəneɪ/), is a French esports player and journalist. She specializes in fighting games, in particular in the Dead or Alive, Soulcalibur and Street Fighter series, and has been playing competitively since 2001. Since then, according to Guinness World Records in 2011, she has been the most successful female participant in fighting game tournaments, especially regarding the Soulcalibur games. She is currently sponsored by Red Bull.

## Biography

Marie-Laure Norindr was born on 17 June 1991 in Paris and grew up in Argenteuil, a north-western suburb. She is of Laotian and Vietnamese descent and her nickname Kayane comes from conjunction of the names of Dead or Alive characters Kasumi and Ayane.
Kayane has played video games since her early childhood, interested in a variety of genres. In 2001, she won the second place in France's vice-champion in Dead or Alive 2 at an age of nine; it was the first tournament that she has ever participated in. Since then, she has competed in scores of gaming competitions in France and around the world (over 80 in total by 2012), winning many of them; her Major League Gaming record includes second place in Soulcalibur V in 2012. She has been a member of the Mad Catz pro gaming team and was sponsored by eLive.pro. In 2014, Kayane became the first electronic athlete from France to be sponsored by Red Bull.
Kayane has co-organized various gaming events (including charity events and "Kayane Session" events), became a brand ambassador for the French Soulcalibur V launch event and advertisement campaign, and worked as an esports writer and journalist. Since October 2013, she has been co-hosting the TV show Game One e-Sports on French television channel Game One. As of 2012, Norindr has been studying business; she said she sees herself in esports for ten more years "before starting a family." In 2020 she started a series of French Soulcalibur VI tournaments titled Kayane Cup. In April 2021 she co-hosted the WePlay eSports Ultimate Fighting League Soulcalibur VI event, a high-profile invitational hosted in Kyiv.

## Accolades

In 2012, Kayane entered Guinness World Records in the categories "First Female Super Street Fighter IV World Champion" (EVO 2010, playing as Chun-Li, regarded by Kayane as a personal role model) and "Most Podium Placements in a Fighting-Game Tournament for a Female (2001–2011)". According to Guinness, she has been ranked top three in 42 fighting games tournaments by 2011. Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition also awarded her the title of "Most Successful Female SoulCalibur Player" for her 48 Soulcalibur series podium placements between 2002 and 2012.
In 2009, Namco created a tribute AI named "Kayane" for the character Xianghua (Kayane's favourite Soulcalibur character) in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, imitating Kayane's playing style. A character named "Kayane" appeared in 2012's Soulcalibur V. In 2012, Forbes called Kayane "the most consistently successful female fighting game competitor of the 21st century," and French magazine Le Point called her the "queen of fighters"; in 2013, Complex included her beating members of the audience without looking at the screen among the "most incredible performances in video games".

## Tournament record

| Year | Tournament | Game | Location | Place |
| 2019 | North East Championships | Soulcalibur VI | Lancaster, PA, United States | 13 |
| 2019 | Ultimate Fighting Arena | Soulcalibur VI | Saint-Denis, France | 5 |
| 2019 | Celtic Throwdown | Soulcalibur VI | Dublin, Ireland | 1 |
| 2019 | Evolution Championship Series | Soulcalibur VI | Las Vegas, United States | 7 |
| 2018 | Evolution Championship Series | Soulcalibur VI | Las Vegas, United States | 5 |
| 2014 | DreamHack Winter 2014 | Ultra Street Fighter IV | Jönköping, Sweden | 9 |
| 2013 | Xbox One Tour | Killer Instinct | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2013 | Japan Arcade Team 3v3 | Soulcalibur V | Tokyo, Japan | 3 |
| 2013 | EVO 2013 Side Event | Soulcalibur V | Las Vegas, United States | 7 |
| 2012 | Stun Academy | Dead or Alive 5 | Paris, France | 5 |
| 2012 | E3 2012 - IGN Pro League | Dead or Alive 5 | Los Angeles, United States | 5 |
| 2012 | Super Arcade USA Tougeki Qualifications | Soulcalibur V | Los Angeles, United States | 1 |
| 2012 | Bar Fight | Soulcalibur V | Philadelphia, United States | 2 |
| 2012 | CEO | Soulcalibur V | Orlando, United States | 2 |
| 2012 | Major League Gaming Summer Championship | Soulcalibur V | Los Angeles, United States | 2 |
| 2012 | Major League Gaming Spring Arena (TOP8 Tournament) | Soulcalibur V | New York City, United States | 3 |
| 2012 | Soul Arena #6 | Soulcalibur V | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2012 | Soul Arena #4 | Soulcalibur V | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2012 | Stunfest (Team Tournament) | Soulcalibur V | Rennes, France | 2 |
| 2012 | Major League Gaming Winter Championship | Soulcalibur V | Columbus, United States | 7 |
| 2012 | World Game Cup (World Team Tournament as Team France) | Soulcalibur V | Cannes, France | 1 |
| 2012 | World Game Cup (Team Tournament) | Soulcalibur V | Cannes, France | 1 |
| 2012 | World Game Cup (Solo Tournament) | Soulcalibur V | Cannes, France | 5 |
| 2012 | SoulCalibur V Launch Event | Soulcalibur V | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2012 | SoulCalibur V Official Qualifier Tournament for French Finals | Soulcalibur V | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2011 | World Game Cup 3v3 | Super Street Fighter IV | Cannes, France | 2 |
| 2011 | World Game Cup (Solo Master Series) | Super Street Fighter IV | Cannes, France | 3 |
| 2011 | World Game Cup 3v3 | Soulcalibur IV | Cannes, France | 2 |
| 2011 | World Game Cup 5v5 | Soulcalibur IV | Cannes, France | 3 |
| 2011 | World Game Cup (Solo Tournament) | Soulcalibur IV | Cannes, France | Top 8 |
| 2011 | Beat By Contest World (Solo Tournament) | Super Street Fighter IV | Lausanne, Switzerland | Top 11 |
| 2011 | Beat By Contest World (Team Tournament) | Super Street Fighter IV | Lausanne, Switzerland | Top 16 |
| 2010 | Bushido Impact XIV Team 2vs2 | Super Street Fighter IV | Paris, France | 3 |
| 2010 | Super Versus Battle Team (European Tournament) | Soulcalibur IV | London, United Kingdom | 2 |
| 2010 | Super Versus Battle Team (European Tournament) | Super Street Fighter IV | London, United Kingdom | 3 |
| 2010 | EVO Women Invitational (World Tournament) | Super Street Fighter IV | Las Vegas, United States | 1 |
| 2010 | Stunfest | Soulcalibur IV | Rennes, France | 4 |
| 2010 | Gnouz Ranking 1 Saison 3 | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 8 |
| 2010 | World Game Cup | Soulcalibur IV | Cannes, France | 9 |
| 2010 | Bushido Nibaï Impact 3 | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2010 | Bushido Impact 2 Saison 1 | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 4 |
| 2009 | Bushido Impact 1 Saison 1 Team | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2009 | Bushido Impact 1 Saison 1 | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 7 |
| 2009 | Gnouz Ranking 6 Saison 2 | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 9 |
| 2009 | Gnouz Ranking 5 Saison 2 | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2009 | Cup Console Sports League | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2009 | Game in Chelles | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 4 |
| 2009 | Gnouz Ranking Resurrection | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 5 |
| 2009 | Evolution (World Solo Tournament) | Soulcalibur IV | Las Vegas, United States | 9 |
| 2009 | Nationals (World Tournament) | Soulcalibur IV | Denver, United States | 17 |
| 2009 | Internationals (World Tournament) | Soulcalibur IV | Denver, United States | 7 |
| 2008 | Gnouz Ranking 3 Saison 2 Team | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2008 | Gnouz Ranking 3 Saison 2 Solo | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 3 |
| 2008 | Gnouz Ranking 2 Saison 2 Team | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2008 | Gnouz Ranking 2 Saison 2 Solo | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 5 |
| 2008 | Gnouz Ranking 1 Saison 2 | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 9 |
| 2008 | Japan Expo | Soulcalibur IV | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2007 | Gnouz Ranking 5 Saison 1 | Soulcalibur III | Paris, France | 3 |
| 2007 | Gnouz Ranking 4 Saison 1 | Soulcalibur III | Paris, France | 3 |
| 2007 | Gnouz Ranking 3 Saison 1 | Soulcalibur III | Paris, France | 5 |
| 2007 | Gnouz Ranking 2 Saison 1 | Soulcalibur III | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2007 | Gnouz Ranking 1 Saison 1 | Soulcalibur III | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2007 | E-games | Soulcalibur III | Toulouse, France | 1 |
| 2006 | World Game Cup World (Solo Tournament) | Soulcalibur III | Cannes, France | 3 |
| 2006 | World Game Cup World (Team Tournament) | Soulcalibur III | Cannes, France | 2 |
| 2006 | Gnouz Calibur Contest | Soulcalibur III | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2005 | World Championship | Soulcalibur II | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2004 | World Game Cup (World Solo Tournament) | Soulcalibur II | Cannes, France | 4 |
| 2004 | World Game Cup (World Team Tournament As a Team France member) | Soulcalibur II | Cannes, France | 2 |
| 2004 | Japan Expo | Soulcalibur II | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2004 | World Cyber Games | Soulcalibur II | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2004 | Event | Soulcalibur II | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2004 | Esiée | Soulcalibur II | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2003 | World Cup | Soulcalibur II | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2003 | Cartoonist (Team Tournament) | Soulcalibur II | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2003 | Japan Expo | Soulcalibur II | Paris, France | 3 |
| 2002 | Salon de l'imaginaire | Soulcalibur | Paris, France | 3 |
| 2002 | World Championship (Solo Tournament) | Soulcalibur | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2002 | World Championship (Team Tournament) | Soulcalibur | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2002 | Fan Festival (Team Tournament) | Soulcalibur | Paris, France | 1 |
| 2002 | Fan Festival (Solo Tournament) | Soulcalibur | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2001 | Epita | Dead or Alive 2 | Paris, France | 2 |
| 2001 | BD Expo | Dead or Alive 2 | Paris, France | 2 |