To quote artist MomoCullen, the prophesy has been fulfilled. Katsuhiro Harada, long-time director of the Tekken fighting game series, has finally been to a Waffle House. Which, without context, is perhaps not an engrossing fact. But for those who have long been involved in the lighthearted campaign for the Tekken games to feature a stage set at 3 a.m. in a Waffle House (where some nights we try to kill each other), it’s a moment of pure bliss. Na-na-na.
In 2024 we reported on the tweeted plea to Harada to set a Tekken stage in the legendary Waffle House chain. Accompanied by a mocked up image of a Waffle House as a selectable location within Tekken 8, they appealed, “Mr harada can you please add this stage to Tekken 8 please.” Harada, who is not known for his happy-go-lucky attitude, responded by asking for an explanation.
“Ok, I will only ask once about this request,” he began. “Why do some communities send me requests for ‘Waffle House’?” And then, like he was setting an assignment, he continued, “Please be sure to explain the basis for the request, including the original story, history and background.”
https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/1774023083764199566
People were of course quick to explain that the Waffle House is a prime spot for a good brawl, with the chain infamous for its late-night fisticuffs between customers.
Now, a couple of years on, it seems Harada has finally visited the promised lands of the Waffle House. In a superb post to his X account late May 24, the developer wrote, “I finally made it to WAFFLE HOUSE.”
He added, “The staff are always friendly, and when I asked if they would sell me a menu, they sold me one for $5.” He then joked, “Next time, I’ll be back at 3 a.m. for fight time.”
This was accompanied by four photographs, including one where Harada wields a chair, ready for combat.
https://x.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/2058670990071091249
Harada, who began as a voice actor on the first two
Tekken games in the mid-90s, went on to direct many of the games in the franchise, up to and including
Tekken 8, before
announcing in 2025 he was leaving Bandai Namco after 31 years. We found out this month that this was
to become the CEO and director at VS Studio, a branch of SNK, which sounds ideal until you remember that the Saudi Fund for Development bought SNK in 2022, meaning it’s now part of the oppressive regime’s gameswashing initiative.
Who knows what this could mean for whatever fighting game Harada is working on now. We know that the spoilsports at KFC already
refused to let him feature Colonel Sanders in Tekken 8, but maybe Waffle House will be more open to leaning into its slightly darker reputation. But they know it’s always love.
