Fortnite Darth Vader AI NPC

Fortnite’s Galactic Battle season (Chapter 6, Season 3) introduced an AI-powered Darth Vader NPC, a first for the game, allowing players to interact via voice or text chat. Voiced using an AI recreation of James Earl Jones’ iconic performance, the feature was developed with Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model for dialogue and ElevenLabs’ Flash v2.5 for audio, in collaboration with Jones’ estate. Players can recruit Vader as a teammate after defeating him at Vader Samurai’s Solitude, where he spawns randomly at one of three locations. Once recruited, he joins the squad, provides gameplay tips, summarizes events, warns of enemies, and responds to player prompts with animations like nodding or yelling “No!”

To interact, players must enable the Conversational AI setting (default: hold left on D-pad) and use a microphone or text input. Vader offers strategic advice, shares Star Wars/Disney-related content, and can sing Disney or Star Wars songs. However, he’s programmed to avoid sensitive topics like V-Bucks, romance, swearing, politics, or his actions against the Younglings in Revenge of the Sith. He also responds to mental health-related prompts with supportive messages, urging players to seek professional help if needed, saying, “You are valued, Trooper.”

The feature has strict moderation, with parental controls requiring permission for players under 13 (or their country’s digital consent age). Epic Games doesn’t store voice data or use interactions to train AI models, but players can report inappropriate responses. Despite safeguards, within hours of launch on May 16, 2025, players like streamer Loserfruit got Vader to swear (e.g., repeating “f***ing”), prompting Epic to issue a hotfix within 30 minutes to curb such behavior. Reports also surfaced of players manipulating Vader to say racial slurs, raising concerns about AI misuse.

Vader reacts strongly to in-game elements, destroying Llamatauns (llama-shaped Tauntauns) on sight and commenting on “unnatural” Wind Sprites. He’s a powerful ally, wielding a lightsaber and providing loot, but can die like a teammate. The feature has sparked mixed reactions: some find it innovative and fun, with viral moments like Vader referencing memes or Nick Eh 30’s mantra, while others criticize it as disrespectful to Jones’ legacy or worry about AI replacing voice actors. Epic’s rapid response to issues suggests ongoing monitoring, but persistent problems could lead to Vader’s removal.