Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada finally found the time to take a trip to Waffle House.
If you’re wondering why this is the news shaking the gaming industry today, you should know that fans have asked the fighting game developer to include a stage based on the 24/7 breakfast joint for years. It’s something Harada’s never exactly been opposed to – he mentioned trademark and rights issues as a potential hangup in 2024 – but the idea has remained just out of reach, regardless.
Harada announced he would be leaving his Tekken home at Bandai Namco late last year and then went on to reveal his new company, VS Studio, just a few weeks ago, but it looks like the All-Star Special and a side of hashbrowns never left his mind. Yesterday, he let his X/Twitter followers know that he finally found the time to stop by Waffle House, and he even bought a menu.
I finally made it to WAFFLE HOUSE.
The staff are always friendly, and when I asked if they would sell me a menu, they sold me one for $5.
Next time, I’ll be back at 3 a.m. for fight time.#WAFFLEHOUSE pic.twitter.com/ivyTIzSE0B— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) May 24, 2026
“I finally made it to WAFFLE HOUSE,” Harada said. “The staff are always friendly, and when I asked if they would sell me a menu, they sold me one for $5. Next time, I’ll be back at 3 a.m. for fight time.”
The reference to a late-night brawl stems from memes that have consumed Waffle House for years. It’s something he dug deeper into in 2024, a time when he knew distressingly little about what the restaurant meant to social media users online. Now, it looks like you can all call him an expert – and maybe even a fan.
Katsuhiro Harada’s Waffle House saga has gone on for quite some time. Naturally, Tekken fans reacted to his breakfast update accordingly.
Thank you for everything im glad you enjoyed your meal, this has a permanent space in my shelf 🙂↕️ pic.twitter.com/j5ZVF0EISo
— doritobandito (@doritobndito) May 25, 2026
— Darkbills (@Darkmaronette) May 24, 2026
A new fighter has entered the arena. pic.twitter.com/bBrpeROzAe
— Jarvix McJarvy (@JarvixMcJarvy) May 24, 2026
Harada no longer has the sway to bring Waffle House to Tekken, specifically, but the legendary fighting game series is very much still kicking. Just yesterday, it was announced that Bandai Namco would soon add Baki’s Yujiro Hanma as a playable character in Tekken 8.
Photo shared by Katsuhiro Harada via X/Twitter.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
