Epic Unveils AI NPC Creation in Fortnite

Following the debut of AI-powered Darth Vader in Fortnite, Epic Games has unveiled ambitious plans to empower creators with tools to design their own AI-driven NPCs within the expansive battle royale universe.

Introduced just last month, AI Darth Vader quickly became a fan-favorite feature. Capable of joining or leaving squads dynamically, delivering contextual dialogue, summarizing in-game events, and even issuing tactical warnings, the character brought a new level of immersion to the game. Powered by Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model and ElevenLabs’ Flash v2.5, the AI version of Darth Vader’s iconic voice was recreated with full approval from the family of James Earl Jones, the legendary actor who passed away in September 2024 at the age of 93.

AI Darth Vader was just the beginning. Image credit: Epic Games.

Within hours of launch, players began testing the boundaries of the AI, prompting Darth Vader to generate uncharacteristic and inappropriate responses, including profanity. In response, Epic swiftly implemented patches to maintain the integrity of the experience.

But this was never just about one character. At State of Unreal 2025, Epic revealed that the technology behind AI Darth Vader will be made available to the broader creator community through Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). Central to this rollout is the new Persona Device, a powerful in-editor tool that allows creators to build NPCs with distinct personalities, voices, and behavioral traits. With it, developers can customize voice types, speech patterns, and character attributes, enabling dynamic, conversational interactions between players and AI entities.

“We’re taking what we learned from Darth Vader and sharing the underlying technology with the creator community,” Epic stated, signaling a major shift toward player-driven AI experiences.

In addition to AI tools, major new content is coming to UEFN. Popular franchises such as Squid Game (arriving June 27), Avatar: The Last Airbender, and official Star Wars assets will be integrated with dedicated templates and development resources. LEGO enthusiasts also have reason to celebrate—brick-by-brick building functionality arrives June 17, alongside the new LEGO Bloom Tycoon template, enabling highly customizable, creative gameplay experiences.

Elsewhere at the event, a breathtaking Unreal Engine 5 tech demo for The Witcher 4, developed in collaboration with CD Projekt, showcased the future of next-gen storytelling and graphical fidelity in gaming.