Epic Empowers Fortnite Players to Craft Custom AI NPCs

Epic has revealed plans to enable Fortnite players to design their own AI-powered NPCs within the popular battle royale game, expanding creative possibilities.

Last month, AI Darth Vader debuted in Fortnite, capable of singing, dynamically joining or leaving squads, responding smartly to players, delivering spontaneous dialogue, recapping gameplay, and alerting players to imminent threats.

Voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones, who passed away in September 2024 at 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 coaxed AI Darth Vader into using Dark Side-inspired language, including profanity, prompting Epic to swiftly issue a patch.

AI Darth Vader was merely the start. At State of Unreal 2025, Epic announced new tools for creators to develop AI-driven NPCs using the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). A live demo showcased the Persona Device, allowing creators to customize NPC personalities, voice styles, and traits for interactive player conversations.

“We’re building on our AI Darth Vader experience to empower the creator community with this technology,” 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 in UEFN 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 powered by Unreal Engine 5.