Movelists and game mechanics aren’t the only things in Tekken 7 you should master— it also helps to know your environment. Tekken stages are as diverse as the characters. It might not seem like much, but learning how to take advantage of every stage's nuances can turn good players into great ones. It is smart to lab stages similar to characters. Before long, you will know every arena dimension like the back of your hand.
Types of stages
Stages in Tekken 7 are either walled or infinite. From the very first Tekken to Tekken Tag Tournament, all stages were infinite. Walls were first added to stages in Tekken 4 and are now an instrumental feature for the series. Now, endless stages are replaced by their walled counterparts as the most common stage type in the series.
Walled stages
All but three stages in Tekken 7 have walls. This means they use boundaries that limit the space a player can move. Walls in 3D fighters are similar to the corner in 2D games. The best strategy to contain an opponent and impose your will on them is to pin them near the wall. You’ve already learned how the wall is incorporated into combos with wall splats, bounces, and other mechanics. Walled stages are symmetrical with walls on every side and no open sections. Unlike similar games such as SoulCalibur and Virtua Fighter, there are no ring outs in Tekken.
Infinite Stages
Infinite or endless stages represent the classic way to play Tekken. There are no walls or out-of-bounds areas on these stages and players are free to move across a boundless combat arena. Backdashes, sidesteps, and other movement techniques become more useful on infinite stages. This is why many believe that matches on infinite stages are the purest form of Tekken combat and the truest test of skill.
Endless stages are incredibly rare in Tekken 7. There were originally only two at release, but a third was later added as free DLC.
- Arctic Snowfall
- Infinite Azure
- Infinite Azure 2
In a tournament, there is only a 12% chance that an infinite stage is randomly chosen. They are usually only seen during stage counter picks when a player wants to remove walls from the equation.
The unique Devil’s Pit
Devil’s Pit stands out as the most distinctive stage in Tekken 7 because it transitions from walled to infinite—the only stage to feature both properties. Devil’s Pit is also the only stage that transitions automatically without the need for wall, floor, or balcony breaks. Matches will start on a standard-sized stage with walls atop a fiery volcano. After one player is on match point, a cutscene will trigger. The players are sent tumbling down the mountain and the rest of the match takes place on an infinite stage.
Size (and shape) matters
Stage size
Stages in Tekken 7 vary in size. A “standard” sized stage is 24x24 in-game meters wide. However, there are only five stages with these dimensions in the game:
- Arena
- Devil’s Pit (first part)
- Dragon’s Nest
- Geometric Plane
- Kinder Gym
Most other stages are rectangularly shaped with uneven lengths and widths. For example, Souq is 26.5m long but only 17.5m wide. The largest is Abandoned Temple at 27x27m, while the smallest are two G Corp. Helipad stages at just 17x16m. Infinite stages are not contained by size.
Corners and angles
The shape of a stage can play a huge factor in the match as well. Most walled stages in Tekken 7 are either squares, rectangles, or octagons. The two exceptions are the G Corp. Helipad stages, which are semicircles.
Rectangular and square stages are bordered with either hard or round corners. The shape and angle of corners and walls have a huge impact on gameplay. Hard corners are more straightforward and create cleaner wall splats; round corners are similar but can lead to more side wall splats. Octagon-shaped stages have fewer spaces for clean wall splats, making side splats more common. Side splats are harder to convert and often result in dropped combos. This is why there is a saying in Tekken that “side walls save lives.”
Some stages make fighters face off at awkward angles during the start of rounds. Hammerhead is a good example, as the fighters are positioned diagonally through the stage’s center. Howard Estate is unique in that it resets the starting position after each wall is broken. Starting angles don’t have much long-term effect on a match, but it is important to be aware of them so that you are prepared to adjust your combos.
Stage interactions and transitions
Many stages feature breakable walls, floors, and balconies. Some even have multiple levels or additional fighting areas that open up after these interactions. They are triggered by landing specific attacks against a breakable surface. All stage interactions put the opponent in a special defenseless state that allows you to extend combos. This makes targeting them in your combos or wall pressure optimal strategy. These gimmicks are only present on walled stages.
Wall breaks
A few stages use walls as dividers between the main fighting area and unlockable sections. These breakable walls were sparingly introduced in Tekken 6 but became more of a factor in Tekken 7. Splatting the opponent against the wall then following up with an attack will break the divider. It will also break during a combo when the wall “gets in the way.” The opponent will be re-splatted against the now missing wall, allowing you to follow up with a combo. Sometimes they will be side-splatted against the wall, making it hard to convert. If you use a screw attack to break the wall, the opponent will be launched further out in the corkscrew motion. Hitting an opponent while they are sliding down against the wall does not typically trigger a wall break.
There are five stages with breakable walls in Tekken 7.
- G Corp. Helipad (Day)
- G Corp. Helipad (Night)
- Howard Estate
- Jungle Outpost (after balcony break)
- Jungle Outpost 2 (after balcony break)
G. Corp Helipad (both day and night) features two breakable walls that expand the size of the stage. Jungle Outpost 1 and 2 feature a wall break on the stage’s second area that is accessed via balcony break. Geese Howard’s Estate was added as part of the DLC package for the King of Fighters guest character. Its three wall breaks turn the first part of the stage into a massive fighting floor. It is possible to break multiple walls (as well as the balcony) in one combo.
Balcony breaks
Balcony breaks are the most common stage interactions in Tekken 7. Introduced in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, they are a primary feature of almost every multi-leveled stage. Balcony breaks are triggered in the same manner as wall breaks. However, instead of creating a re-splat, the opponent will be sent crashing towards the second area where the rest of the fight takes place. They will bounce into the air upon landing where you can follow up with a combo. When breaking the balcony during a combo, try to save your screw attack until after the stage transition. Using the screw after the bounce from the balcony break increases damage output and wall carry.
Nine stages in Tekken 7 have balcony break transitions. Most are pretty straightforward where one entire side of the stage is destructible. There is a breakable balcony on Howard Estate available only after all three breakable walls are knocked down.
- Cave of Enlightenment
- Duomo di Sirio
- Howard Estate (after three wall breaks)
- Island Paradise
- Jungle Outpost
- Jungle Outpost 2
- Twilight Conflict
- Twilight Conflict 2
- Vermillion Gates
Floor breaks
Floor breaks were also introduced in Tekken 6 where they were the first game mechanic to trigger stage transitions in the series. They work differently from wall and balcony breaks but are also helpful with extending combos. Breaking the floor requires you to land an attack that slams the opponent into the ground. Use attacks that create a bound animation or strike downward on the opponent, such as JACK-7’s Jackhammer. There are also numerous throws in the game like Dragunov’s Blizzard Rush that will trigger floor breaks. Breaking the floor will send the opponent careening to the lower level where they will bounce upward similar to a balcony break. From there you can follow up with a combo accordingly.
At launch, Tekken 7 only had one stage with floor breaks: Forgotten Realm. This is a unique stage because it has four levels with three floor breaks. The first three levels are identical while the basement level is much smaller. Multiple floors can not be broken in the same combo.
Cave of Enlightenment was added in Season 4 as part of Fahkumram’s DLC package. After a balcony break transition from the first fighting area, the second has breakable floors. Successfully collapsing the floor will drop the players down into the depths of the cave for the remainder of the match.
- Cave of Enlightenment (after balcony break)
- Forgotten Realm
Other Factors to Consider
Tournament rules for stage selection
Most Tekken 7 tournaments use a universal method for choosing stages. These are based on the official rules of the Tekken World Tour. At the beginning of the match, the stage will always be randomized. After the first game, the loser can either switch their character or choose a stage. When players stick with their main and choose a stage, they usually do so strategically to give themselves an advantage. If they choose to switch characters, they will need to randomly select the stage again.
Stages cater to characters
Certain stages cater to different characters. Characters with weaker wall carry prefer smaller stages while those with good movement can take advantage of larger battlegrounds. Some characters are stronger with walls, while others are better without them. A good example of a character that performs better on endless stages is Eddy. He has weak wall carry and few wall combo options but makes use of the best backdash in the game on infinite stages
Stages with wall and balcony breaks favor characters with good wall carry capabilities like Julia and Kunimitsu. Floor breaks give a significant edge to grapplers. Forgotten Realm is colloquially known as “King’s Playground” in Tekken 7 because of the advantages it gives to King and Armor King. Both characters can end combos with throws that break the floor, meaning they only need to land three combos before reaching the basement. Furthermore, their wide assortment of throws opens up even more floor-breaking opportunities for huge damage.
When playing in a tournament, it is important to know which stages favor your main. After dropping a game, you can counterpick the stage to give yourself an advantage. So if you main King or Armor King, for example, always look to counterpick with Forgotten Realm. You can also implement your own strengths and weaknesses or that of your opponent when counterpicking. For example, if your opponent is trapping you near the wall, switch to an infinite stage to give yourself more freedom to move around.
We are just one entry away from your Tekken 7 graduation ceremony. Our last guide will show you how to use the Rage mechanic when your health bar is near the brink. How will you set the stage for your run at the PlayStation Tournaments title?