Following Fortnite's AI-powered Darth Vader release, Epic Games announced groundbreaking tools for players to create custom AI NPCs within the battle royale universe.
The AI Darth Vader debuted last month with impressive capabilities - serenading players, dynamically joining squads, delivering contextual responses, narrating gameplay moments, and alerting players to imminent threats.
The iconic villain features the legendary voice of James Earl Jones (who passed away September 2024 aged 93), faithfully recreated through Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash and ElevenLabs' Flash v2.5 technologies with family approval.
Within sixty minutes of launch, inventive players manipulated Vader into delivering uncharacteristic Dark Side profanities - prompting Epic to swiftly implement content filters.
At State of Unreal 2025, Epic revealed plans to democratize AI creation through Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). The new Persona Device enables creators to craft interactive NPCs with customizable voices, speech patterns, and personality traits.
"We're open-sourcing the technology behind Darth Vader for community innovation," an Epic spokesperson confirmed during the presentation.
The June 27 update brings major licensed content including Squid Game, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and expanded Star Wars assets to UEFN. LEGO integration launches June 17 alongside the LEGO Bloom Tycoon template.
The showcase also featured CD Projekt Red's breathtaking Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 technology preview.
