Summary
- Fortnite has added an AI-powered Darth Vader NPC capable of responding to players' dialogue via voice chat and text.
- Players have discovered that Darth Vader hates Llamatauns, destroying them on sight.
- Epic Games is wary of players trying to engage the AI in problematic discussions.
Fortnite recently added a Darth Vader NPC that is able to keep conversations going thanks to artificial intelligence, and it seems that he also reacts strongly to certain creatures and items on the Battle Royale map. Artificial intelligence has been one of the most discussed topics in the past few years, with the technology now seemingly being used across all types of media, for both good and evil. Epic Games decided to incorporate it in its non-playable characters in Fortnite in a whole new way with the release of update 35.10 on May 16.
As soon as the patch became available, leakers immediately started going through the game files and quickly discovered that Epic was going to add an AI-driven Darth Vader NPC to Fortnite. As they dug deeper, they found out that the Darth Vader AI character would be able to respond to players' dialogue via voice chat and text and act accordingly. Fans are once again able to listen to James Earl Jones voice as Darth Vader, with the character giving advice, reciting poetry, providing gaming tips, and even singing.
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Despite being able to join the player's squad, Darth Vader is still a hostile boss in Fortnite. His morals remain the same, and both his actions and dialogue make that very clear. In fact, gamers have discovered that the AI Darth Vader has very strong opinions towards Llamatauns, the llama-shaped spots based on Star Wars's Tauntauns, and he's not afraid to show it. If the player hides inside a Llamataun, Darth Vader will march towards them, voicing how much this disturbs him before destroying it, exposing their location.
Darth Vader AI NPC Destroys Player Hiding Spots in Fortnite
Additionally, Shany, the same player who discovered this interaction, shared another clip in which Darth Vader reacts to the Wind Sprites found all over the Fortnite map. He shares that the Fortnite island continues to surprise him with its "unnatural" inhabitants, as they seem to serve no purpose and appear too "gleeful."
Despite constantly preaching the word of the Empire, the Darth Vader AI is rather wholesome, as he will give gamers advice, share tips to help his team get a Victory Royale, and even guide those living through at-risk situations to seek help. Unfortunately, certain streamers and players have already been trying to engage Darth Vader in problematic discussions, but Epic Games is trying quite hard to prevent this. If this continues, the AI NPC will most likely be removed from the game, but for now, fans can still enjoy his company.
Fortnite
- Released
- September 26, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
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- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms (except iOS/Mac)
- Cross Save
- Via Epic Account
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- PC Release Date
- September 26, 2017
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- November 10, 2020
- PS5 Release Date
- November 12, 2020
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- June 12, 2018
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 players (certain modes)
- X|S Optimized
- YES
