So, you’re dropping into Fortnite’s neon-drenched battle royale, lightsaber in hand, ready to outlast 99 other players. Suddenly, you’re face-to-mask with Darth Vader, and he’s not just an NPC spouting pre-scripted lines. No, this Sith Lord, voiced by the late, great James Earl Jones, is chatting back—thanks to some fancy AI wizardry. Get ready for Fortnite’s newest space adventure, where Epic Games and Disney use special tech to bring back Darth Vader’s famous deep voice for live chats in the game.
James Earl Jones, who passed in 2024, was the voice of Darth Vader, a character so well-known it’s a huge part of pop culture. Before his passing, Jones gave Lucasfilm the green light to use his archived recordings for future projects, and his estate has now blessed this Fortnite collaboration. The result? An AI-powered Vader who sounds like he just stepped off the Death Star, ready to critique your building skills or, apparently, drop the occasional F-bomb (more on that later).
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Epic Games, in cahoots with Disney and Lucasfilm, tapped Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash model to craft Vader’s snappy dialogue and ElevenLabs’ Flash v2.5 to recreate Jones’ unmistakable voice. Players can challenge Vader at his “Samurai’s Solitude” outpost, defeat him, and recruit him to their squad. Press a special “Darth Vader” button, and you’re chatting with the Dark Lord himself—your voice processed in real-time, his responses dripping with that signature menace. It’s like having a Sith mentor in your ear, minus the Force choke.
The tech behind this is both impressive and a little cheeky. Your voice input zips to Gemini 2.0, which generates Vader’s replies, while ElevenLabs’ tech ensures he sounds like Jones at his prime. Epic swears your audio isn’t stored, and only Vader’s responses are kept for moderation (because, you know, Sith Lords can get sassy). The system’s smart enough to recognize your in-game antics—sporting a Spider-Man skin? Vader might sneer at your web-slinging. It’s a seamless blend of nostalgia and next-gen AI, making Fortnite feel like a Star Wars holodeck.
James Earl Jones’ legendary vocal performance is a defining element of what makes Darth Vader one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. Disney, Lucasfilm, and Epic Games are honored to bring his voice to Fortnite for millions of players to experience — showcasing how we responsibly embrace emerging technologies to expand storytelling while keeping people at the heart of the creative process,” said Sean Shoptaw, EVP, Disney Games and Digital Entertainment.
