Fortnite plans for more “AI-powered NPCs” after viral Darth Vader takes the internet by storm

In a galaxy not so far away, Fortnite’s most recent update released an AI-powered Darth Vader NPC, sparking a social media firestorm. Introduced on May 16, 2025, this conversational Sith Lord, dubbed with the late James Earl Jones’ renowned voice via Google’s Gemini 2.0 and ElevenLabs, allows players to participate in real-time conversation ranging from battle plans to humorous banter.

Social media has been flooded with videos of Vader’s surprising reactions, ranging from funny remarks to unintentional profanities, causing Epic Games to provide quick hotfixes. Despite reaction from SAG-AFTRA over labor concerns and some fans criticizing the AI’s ethical implications, the Darth Vader NPC has gone viral, with gamers sharing amusing exchanges and memes, reinforcing its cultural effect.

Building on this success, Epic Games revealed plans at State of Unreal 2025 to provide creators with new capabilities in the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) to bring more AI-powered NPCs in the game.

Fortnite is bringing AI-powered NPCs to Creative mode

Epic Games announced at State of Unreal 2025 that the upcoming Persona Device will enable UEFN authors to create unique AI-powered NPCs in Fortnite Creative maps. This technology will allow developers to create unique characters with specific personalities, voices, and mannerisms, hence increasing immersion in Fortnite islands.

By incorporating powerful AI, developers can program NPCs to do complicated behaviors such as patrolling, supporting players, or engaging in dynamic discussion, overcoming the restrictions of the current NPC Spawner mechanism.

Developers at Epic also showed a Do Not Press Button demo with an AI-powered voice that was quick to generate responses during a live conversation, and altered player mentality to play the game. Furthermore, the feature will be released in the fourth quarter of 2025, meaning creators will be able to publish it in their islands starting October 2025.

The program complements Epic’s larger effort to democratize game production. UEFN’s easy interface, powered by Unreal Engine, currently enables developers to create immersive worlds without considerable scripting. The integration of AI technologies, combined with features such as the Verse programming language and the future AI Assistant for code generation, will help to speed the creation process.

Fortnite

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  Platform(s):
  Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
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  Genre(s):
  Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter

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