In a recent grand statement, Tekken 8’s director said there is going to be a stage with a Waffle House theme. Seriously. That old 24-hour diner, infamous for all-nighter shenanigans and syrup-fueled brawls, might be the next battleground for fighters in this legendary fighting series. It really does make sense.
While it is being tweeted, it was said that the director for Tekken 8, Katsuhiro Harada, disclosed plans for a Waffle House stage. He also contacted the said restaurant for an official collaboration, but with or without them, he intends to see it come to fruition. Madness like this just thrills us!
The influx of reactions from fans was reminiscent of furious debates. A few were excited, others were perplexed, then several started brainstorming how to make this even work on the stage. The real questions were from @TaneishaJane: “Will it be inside or outside the Waffle House? What kind of music will that stage have?” Meanwhile, @TheRealKingRosa begged for a waitress throwing chairs in the background for full scooter-stage authenticity.
They are not wrong, really. You might have experienced Waffle House past midnight, and it is almost a real-life Tekken match. @MakavelliVT was pretty on-point with: “With the amount of hands that get thrown in Waffle House, most must think they are in IRL Tekken as is.”
The Waffle House stage concept is not an incoherent outlandishness—really, it’s genius. The franchise has always dallied in the most fantastical, ridiculous stages, from volcano pits to city rooftops. But a diner where fighters can throw each other into a pile of pancakes? That’s creativity of another kind. @Soulbound_TV nailed it: “Finally, a stage where the real fights happen.”
The jokes were also appreciated by some. @lxm697 joked that Harada “needs better suggestions,” while @MFxKuro accused him of “trying to appeal to normies” in light of recent patch controversies. Almost all of the remaining responses, however, were just pure excitement. @Boostmetax called it “the crossover we didn’t know we needed,” while @FortKnoxCrypto said they’d “take a double order of that.”
Then the real question: What is next? If Waffle House gets a stage, are all other fast-food chains going to follow? @SC2noHope tagged KFC in response, so… maybe? Whatever, these are the kinds of wild and unexpected additions that keep fighting games fresh.
There’s no release date for Tekken 8, yet, so if this Waffle House stage actually comes into being, it’ll be the most talked-about topic in the history of the game. Now the wait begins to see if Harada can pull off the collab—and if Waffle House will even respond.
Keep those chairs flying. The fight lands at a local diner!
