Tekken 8 Boss Attempts Waffle House Crossover, Fails

For some time now, Tekken enthusiasts have been vocal about their desire to see a Waffle House stage in the game. While this request might seem whimsical, it has captured the attention of Tekken 8's director, Katsuhiro Harada, who has shown genuine interest in exploring this possibility.

On X/Twitter, Harada responded to fans still eagerly pushing for a Waffle House stage in Tekken 8. The demand has gained significant traction, fueled by Harada's own curiosity and willingness to delve deeper into the idea.

Harada expressed that he "fully understands" the fans' requests and has been actively considering how to bring this concept to life. He revealed that he has been reaching out through various channels over the past year to make this happen. However, he speculates that the lack of response from Waffle House might be due to the nature of his projects, which center around "fighting-themed video games."

"Over the past year or more, I've actually tried to make contact through several different channels," Harada stated on X/Twitter. "However, and this is purely my own speculation, I suspect that the lack of response may be due to the fact that the project I'm known for revolves around 'fighting-themed video games.'"

To be honest, within the bounds of what I can say, I fully understand your (you guys) request—that's precisely why I had considered taking on this challenge. In fact, I had already been thinking about it quite a while ago.

Over the past year or more, I've actually tried to make… https://t.co/Sa5oSpk2IZ

— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) May 13, 2025

Harada noted that receiving "no response" is a rare occurrence for him. He also suggested that if a different name or format could be used while maintaining the core message, he would be open to revisiting and exploring this idea further.

It appears that characters like Kazuya and Jin won't be battling under the iconic yellow glow of a Waffle House sign anytime soon. However, Harada floated the idea of a parody or in-universe version, proposing "Hustle House" as a potential alternative.

Meanwhile, Tekken 8 is rolling out its latest update with Patch 2.01, following the confirmation of Fahkumram's addition to the roster. In response to fan feedback about Tekken 8's Season 2, Harada mentioned that the tuning team is diligently working to address concerns and implement improvements based on player input.