Highlights
- Fans of Tekken 8 are passionate about a Waffle House stage, but legal and international hurdles may prevent its inclusion.
- Some fans are taking matters into their own hands by creating a Waffle House stage in Roblox to showcase their idea.
- Despite Katsuhiro Harada’s praise for the Roblox recreation, the idea of a Waffle House stage in Tekken 8 remains unlikely.
Tekken 8‘s producer, Katsuhiro Harada, expressed his impressions about a Roblox recreation of Bandai Namco’s fighting game and its inclusion of a stage based on Waffle House. The Tekken series is well-known for having a number of fighters that span across the entire globe, with a number of cultures and martial arts styles being represented. Tekken 8‘s stages are diverse backdrops from different parts of the world, including Rome, France, Peru, and the United States of America. One incredibly popular request is a stage based on a Waffle House.
Tekken 8 fans have been requesting a stage based on Waffle House for a while, stemming from the American diner’s reputation of having rowdy customers. This reputation has continued to perpetuate due to viral videos being shared of customers brawling with employees on the premises. While some of these requests are made in jest, others are wholeheartedly enthusiastic about the idea. While Harada has said no to the idea already, this hasn’t stopped some fans from bringing the idea to life themselves.
Tekken 8 Confirms More Fixes Coming in the Next Update
Tekken 8 developers confirm a major update is coming to the game soon, which seeks to address several issues currently affecting gameplay.
Twitter user MemzDev posted a video on Twitter that was a recreation of Tekken 8‘s mechanics within Roblox. One Roblox avatar represented Kazuya Mishima and the other Jin Kazama, with the clip briefly demonstrating one of Kazuya Mishima’s combo strings. The tweet was captioned “Doing what Tekken won’t, waffle house stage,” in reference to Harada’s statement about issues with a Waffle House stage. This stage even has chairs and tables being knocked over as the fight rages on, along with a stage transition that breaks through the restaurant’s walls and the fight continuing in the parking lot. The tweet was enough to get the attention of Katsuhiro Harada, who replied to the tweet with a simple “Impressionnante!” Memz thanked Harada, saying it meant a lot to hear the praise coming from him.
Tekken 8 X Roblox: Waffle House Stage and Harada’s Impressions
Harada previously responded to fans requesting a Waffle House stage in Tekken 8 by addressing the biggest hurdles with the idea. Due to the restaurant’s brand name, Waffle House would need to approve of the idea first, and if Waffle House refused the idea, then it wouldn’t happen. This hasn’t stopped fans from suggesting legally distinct alternative names other than Waffle House to base the idea on, as a stage that takes place in an American restaurant that transitioned to outside the premises wouldn’t be out of place in the Tekken universe.
The other hurdle with a Tekken 8 stage based on Waffle House would likely be the international audience, where half of the series’ lifetime sales come from the European market. As such, a Waffle House stage might be an alienating niche that would likely only appeal to U.S. players and the reference would fly over other players’ heads. For now, the idea of a Waffle House stage will likely remain a pipe dream.
Tekken 8
Bandai Namco’s Tekken 8 will be the franchise’s debut entry on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and the fighting game is built in Unreal Engine 5. The story revolves around Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama’s relationship.
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer , Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
