Epic Games has revealed plans to enable players to craft their own AI-driven NPCs in Fortnite’s expansive battle royale environment, building on the success of AI Darth Vader’s introduction.
AI Darth Vader debuted in Fortnite last month, showcasing abilities like serenading players, dynamically joining or leaving squads, responding intelligently, delivering spontaneous dialogue, summarizing gameplay, and alerting players to imminent threats.
Voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones, who passed away in September 2024 at age 93, the AI rendition of his voice leverages Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model and ElevenLabs’ Flash v2.5, with approval from the Jones family.
Within an hour of its launch, players prompted AI Darth Vader to use language tied to the Dark Side, including profanity, which Epic quickly addressed with a patch.
The AI Darth Vader debut was merely a starting point. At State of Unreal 2025, Epic introduced new tools for creators to develop AI-enhanced NPCs using the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). A live demo showcased the Persona Device, allowing creators to design characters with unique personalities for player interaction, complete with customizable voice styles and traits.
“We’re sharing the technology behind Darth Vader with the creator community to empower their own creations,” Epic stated.
Additionally, UEFN will soon feature major IPs like Squid Game on June 27, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and official Star Wars templates and assets. Lego’s brick-by-brick building arrives on June 17, alongside the new LEGO Bloom Tycoon template.
At State of Unreal 2025, Epic and CD Projekt also showcased a breathtaking The Witcher 4 tech demo built with Unreal Engine 5.
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