Fortnite fans, get ready! You can now communicate with Darth Vader in the latest Fortnite x Star Wars update, featuring the return of James Earl Jones’ iconic voice thanks to new AI technology!
Look out, Fortnite players, because the Dark Lord of the Sith has returned to the map. Epic Games has confirmed that Darth Vader has touched down again as a boss in Battle Royale, replacing Darth Vader Samurai. But in a Fortnite first, players can now recruit him and communicate with the Dark Lord. Vader will respond with the help of AI and will have the iconic voice of James Earl Jones, who voiced Vader in all the Star Wars movies.
Epic Games and Disney have brought Jones back with his family’s permission, and he will be on hand to offer advice and battle strategies as the game unfolds. Before his passing, James Earl Jones approved the use of archival voice recordings by young filmmakers. They are intended to be used by artificial intelligence and synthetic speech technology to recreate Jones’ younger voice from his earlier films for future Lucasfilm projects. And thankfully, after the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Fortnite x Star Wars Galactic Battle is the first project to utilize this new technology to its full potential.
Darth Vader wouldn’t be nearly as sinister without the legendary performance of James Earl Jones, who voiced Vader in the Star Wars films. We’re honored to feature the voice of the late Mr. Jones and we thank his estate for the opportunity to make this happen for players.
THE JONES FAMILY
James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it. We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character. – The family of James Earl Jones
RELEASE
This is fantastic news. For The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lucasfilm employed Respeecher, a Ukrainian company, to recreate Vader and Luke Skywalker’s voice lines, and the results were spectacular. Now, with the support of James Earl Jones’ family, the Dark Lord of the Sith has returned and is bringing his iconic voice to the Fortnite map. Sadly, his return has not come without a few glitches. Some players have reported incidents of Vader using profanity that Epic Games has swiftly addressed. But aside from these minor teething problems, Darth Vader is back on the map, and he’s better than ever!
What’s more, as a part of the latest update, new skins for Jar Jar Binks and a Mandalorian Warrior are heading to the item shop. Get the full details here.
Have you stopped for a chat with Darth Vader yet? Drop a comment below and share your experience.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
