The future is here, and it’s somewhat uncomfortable. In the latest collaboration between Fortnite and Disney, Fortnite players can talk to Darth Vader “using conversational AI.”
[UPDATE 5/23/25: Actors union SAG-AFTRA has fired back at the use of AI voice work, and has filed an unfair labor practice charge in response: “Fortnite chose to replace the work of human performers with A.I. technology. Unfortunately, they did so without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms.”]
Darth Vader appears as a powerful boss battle in Fortnite: Galactic Battle, the currently ongoing Star Wars themed season. Vader replaces the Samurai boss in Shogun’s Solitude. The first team who defeats him can recruit him, and take turns speaking with the legendary villain by click on the pop-up button.
Vader’s responses are generated with Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model and audio from ElevenLabs’ Flash model.
The craziest part is that the generative AI uses James Earl Jones’ iconic voice. The legendary actor past last year, but his family estate signed off on the project:
James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it. We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character.
According to the FAQ, submitted audio is not stored. Players under 13 must get parental permission to speak to Darth Vader (I love this sentence). Parents and guardians will find a new parental control option to allow voice and written communication with AI. They can update the settings via the Fortnite main menu, or their child’s Epic Account settings. Fortnite is rated T for Teen.
Vader only knows and responds in English. Or is that Galactic Basic?
Fortnite: Galactic Battle includes an Imperial takeover of the island, lightsabers, blasters, X-Wings, and a Star Wars Battle Pass. Fornite is free-to-play on PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, and mobile devices.
