Star Wars and AI are coming together in a big way in one of the most popular games out there. Darth Vader made a return to Fortnite on Friday, but this time he’s not just making a cameo appearance. This version of Darth Vader can actually talk to you and your friends while you’re playing the game. He’s voiced by a digital copy of the late James Earl Jones’ voice, and Epic Games has said that Jones’ family is totally cool with it. So, if you’re running around Junk Junction trying to take out your opponents, you might just hear Darth Vader chatting away in your ear.
Epic Games made the announcement in a blog post, saying, “Strategize with the ultimate Sith Lord. With your voice. And he’ll respond back using conversational AI.” This new Darth Vader character has replaced Darth Vader Samurai as a boss in Battle Royale mode. If you’re the first to recruit him, your whole team can take turns talking to him. Just be sure to hit the special Darth Vader button that pops up to start a conversation with him. Players have already been having fun with the James Earl Jones Darth Vader AI chatbot, getting him to say all sorts of silly things. One streamer, LoserFruit, even asked him, “What freaking food is that, Darth Vader?” to which he replied, “Such vulgarity does not become you.” Classic Darth Vader sass, right?
If you’re under 13, you’re technically not supposed to talk to the James Earl Jones Darth Vader AI without your parents’ permission. And if he says anything offensive, you’re supposed to report it to Epic. Epic shared a statement from Jones’ family, saying that the legendary actor always wanted fans of all ages to keep experiencing the iconic character of Darth Vader. Jones passed away last year but had previously given Lucasfilm the rights to his voice. So, this collaboration with Fortnite is a way for fans old and new to enjoy the character once again. The experiment with Fortnite and Star Wars comes on the heels of a not-so-great AI-generated Star Wars showcase by Lucasfilm. It was a bit of a mess with strange-looking creatures and overall not the best representation of the franchise. It’s kind of ironic that this questionable tech move is happening while Andor season 2 just finished up some of the best live-action Star Wars content in years. But hey, at least we get to hear Darth Vader’s iconic voice again, right?
In the end, while Darth Vader may be the most recognizable character in the Star Wars universe, it’s a bit odd that they chose him to bring back the voice of a beloved actor just to have him interact with Fortnite players. But hey, it’s all in good fun, right? Who knows, maybe this is just the beginning of more crossovers and collaborations in the gaming world. But for now, let’s just enjoy the banter between Darth Vader and the players in Fortnite. Not really sure why this matters, but it’s definitely entertaining to see how the AI responds to different questions and comments from the players.
