Epic Games expands Fortnite AI with 36 new creator personas

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite creators will be able to integrate 36 AI-powered non-player characters into their custom experiences, with the feature set to launch on 30 July. The initiative marks a significant expansion of the company’s artificial intelligence capabilities within the platform, following the deployment of a Darth Vader NPC earlier in the year.

The new personas include established Fortnite staples such as Agent Jonesy, Peely, Fishstick, and Cuddle Team Leader. According to Epic, these characters possess consistent voices and personas generated by large language models. The company confirmed that the voice models are derived from performances captured by independent professional actors who have explicitly agreed to have their work used for developer-made islands.

This rollout follows a period of cautious testing. Earlier this year, Epic allowed creators to test their own AI characters under specific ground rules designed to prevent problematic content. This followed the debut of the Darth Vader NPC, which utilised a voice model based on the late James Earl Jones. While the collaboration received sign-off from the actor’s estate, players quickly discovered they could prompt the character to use profanity, a behaviour Epic subsequently corrected.

Content creator Shiina has already produced video demonstrations showcasing some of the new AI voices. The availability of these tools allows creators to embed interactive, voice-enabled characters into their experiences, moving beyond static assets to dynamic conversational elements powered by underlying language models.

Looking ahead, Epic Games outlined plans to collaborate with relevant guilds and original voice actors from Fortnite Battle Royale. The company stated its intention to explore opportunities to make those original voices available across the wider Fortnite ecosystem, though it noted that securing the necessary approvals remains a prerequisite for such expansions.