News summary produced by Claude AI
Epic Games announced plans to expand artificial intelligence capabilities within Fortnite by enabling creators to develop experiences featuring AI-powered characters with synthetic voices. Beginning July 30th, the platform will introduce 36 pre-configured personas that developers can integrate into their custom island experiences as non-player characters.
The characters being made available include several established figures from the Fortnite universe, such as Agent Jonesy, Peely the banana character, Fishstick, and Cuddle Team Leader. These voices were generated using performances captured from professional actors who agreed to have their work used to create voice models for language model-powered interactions within the game.
Epic has previously experimented with AI-driven characters in the game environment. The developer integrated a Darth Vader NPC that utilized a synthesized version of actor James Earl Jones’ distinctive voice, following approval from his estate. Although players initially discovered workarounds that caused the character to produce inappropriate language, Epic quickly addressed the issue.
The company has also been piloting AI character creation tools with select creators earlier in the development cycle, while establishing content guidelines designed to prevent misuse. Looking forward, Epic indicated intentions to collaborate with professional voice actors and relevant industry guilds who have contributed to Fortnite Battle Royale to make their original voice performances available for use across the broader Fortnite ecosystem.