Tekken 8 director wants to know why everyone wants a Waffle House stage

Katsuhiro Harada has been flooded with all sorts of requests to add things to Tekken 8. From character and crossover requests, his mentions are now being swarmed by requests for a Waffle House to be part of the game’s lineup of stages.

After being unable to dodge this request, Harada-san had to finally put his foot down and ask why people wanted this place to be a playable stage in Tekken 8. So, people broke down why exactly this should be in the game.

An X (formerly Twitter) user, Brian Smawley, or @ChefLuBu_ATL perfectly broke down why this iconic landmark should be in Bandai Namco’s latest fighting game. In a set of Tweets, he said the following: 

• 1. As many have noted it is a place where many many fights happen
• 2. It’s an iconic southern American diner, it’s open for business 24/7 and that includes holidays. It is one of the most iconic businesses in the South.
• 3. The staff there have to deal with a lot, including drunk people coming in after the bar or club and getting into fights, often those fights are recorded by bystanders.
• 4. Sometimes people try to fight the staff and those people ALWAYS LOSE. Waffle House staff are hard.
• 5. A waffle house stage can be anywhere in 50% of America. It lets you have a stage in America without tying it down to a specific state.
• 6. The food is incredible, Harada-san

Brian Smawley

As someone who unfortunately does not live in a state where a Waffle House resides, some establishments are similar to what this user described. I’ve been to places that fit into the aforementioned descriptors of a Waffle House. 

Being a Southern California native, specifically in South Central Los Angeles, the kinds of Waffle Houses we have here are certain 24-hour diners, some chain fast food restaurants, or streetside Mexican food vendors who are out until 2 in the morning. They may not have your typical breakfast foods, but they sure do hit the spot.

Let me tell you, something always goes down at night at these places. It starts with belligerent yelling, followed by some physical altercation, and a decently high chance of a weapon being brandished and possibly used. 

There are in fact, drunk patrons, or those on a bender who need something cheap and quick to soak up all the heavy drinking to keep them going. The staff do have to deal with a lot but usually have a tight-knit community backing them in the case that they get involved in a physical altercation with disgruntled, overly inebriated customers, or people just looking for trouble.

And yes, the food is immaculate. I’m not entirely sure if it’s because I’ve had a long night out and any nourishment will be incredible or if it’s because I’m truly savoring food that might be my last meal (because of safety reasons). 

But, if this stage were to become a reality in Tekken 8, it has to only be at night. Waffle Houses and other equivalent establishments don’t become an anything-goes fighting ring until the dark hours of the day. 

It would be a culturally hilarious meme for Western folks who have heard the stories and lived to tell the tale of these dingy, yet iconic landmarks. 

Though, with Harada now understanding what a Waffle House is, he did deliver some most likely unfortunate news. He goes on to say that the restaurant owns the trademark and rights to the name and image of the establishment. So, even if he proposes the idea of implementing this area in Tekken 8, it can be shot down if they don’t accept it.