Following AI Darth Vader's debut in Fortnite, Epic Games has revealed plans to let players craft their own AI-driven NPCs within the battle royale universe.
AI Darth Vader launched in Fortnite last month with impressive capabilities - serenading players, dynamically joining squads, providing intelligent responses, delivering spontaneous dialogue, summarizing in-game events, and warning players of impending dangers.
The iconic character is voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones (who passed away in September 2024 at age 93), with this AI rendition utilizing Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash model and ElevenLabs' Flash v2.5 technology with the Jones family's approval.
Shortly after launch, players discovered ways to manipulate Vader into delivering inappropriate Dark Side-esque dialogue, prompting Epic to swiftly implement restrictions.
During the State of Unreal 2025 event, Epic announced their next evolution: empowering creators with tools to build custom AI NPCs through Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). The demonstration showcased the new Persona Device, enabling designers to craft interactive characters with customizable voices, personalities, and conversational abilities.
"We're building on our experience with Darth Vader by making this technology available to creators," an Epic spokesperson stated.
The event also revealed major IP integrations coming to UEFN, including Squid Game (June 27), Avatar: The Last Airbender, and official Star Wars assets. Additional updates include LEGO brick-by-brick building functionality (launching June 17) and the new LEGO Bloom Tycoon template.
Other State of Unreal 2025 highlights included a breathtaking The Witcher 4 tech demo created by Epic and CD Projekt Red using Unreal Engine 5.
