Summary
- Fortnite introduces an AI-powered Darth Vader NPC for interactive player conversations.
- Darth Vader NPC is designed to interact positively but avoid sensitive topics in Fortnite.
- Friendly NPCs offer health items and sell goods; unfriendly NPCs have rare loot.
Epic Games has created its first artificial intelligence-powered NPC in Fortnite, and it's none other than Darth Vader. There are various non-playable characters on the Fortnite Battle Royale island, some hostile, some friendly. Each NPC has a purpose, so even those who shoot on sight can be useful, as they usually have a Mythic weapon or a Medallion that will drop upon being eliminated, or they guard a high-security location with great high-rarity loot.
At the start of the match, however, gamers will probably want to avoid powerful, unfriendly bots, as it can be difficult to take them down with low shields and Common-rarity weapons. Friendly NPCs, on the other hand, will give players a free health item the first time that they talk to them, and they will sell goods and services to help them out during a match. Additionally, gamers can also chat with NPCs in Fortnite and learn more about certain subjects.
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Before, players would mostly talk to NPCs if they had a quest that required them to do so or if they were curious about some particular piece of Fortnite lore, but now it seems that Epic Games wants to focus on the social aspect of NPCs, which is why it's adding an AI Darth Vader with update 35.10. With this patch, fans will be able to approach Darth Vader on the map and talk to him through voice chat or text. He will be able to have full conversations with gamers, hint towards points of interest with rare loot, and provide fun facts about players' current match.
Fans Can Now Talk to AI Darth Vader in Fortnite Using Text or Voice Chat
This bot will be friendly, unlike his counterpart, Vader Samurai, who is a boss in Fortnite. Before fans get any ideas, Darth Vader will not react to romantic conversations; the game files strictly forbid him from "dating" players. However, that is not the only subject that will bring the conversation to a halt. According to various leakers, Darth Vader will not engage with prompts such as strong language, hate speech, illegal activities, real-world religious and political matters, two lines of text or a song that doesn't belong to Disney, and several more subjects that might be problematic or controversial.
On a more positive note, Darth Vader has been programmed to react to prompts related to anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, and other at-risk situations and provide some help and advice. He will remind the player that they are valued and guide them to seek professional help from a medical professional or the authorities. Guardians who are concerned about their children's safety will be glad to know that cabined Fortnite accounts cannot use this feature without permission.
Fortnite
- Released
- September 26, 2017
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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
