Forget the Force, AI brings the late James Earl Jones iconic Darth Vader voice to Fortnite
3 minute readPublished: Friday, May 16, 2025 at 3:09 pm
Darth Vader's Voice Returns to Fortnite Thanks to AI
Get ready, Fortnite fans! The iconic voice of Darth Vader, originally brought to life by the late James Earl Jones, is returning to the game thanks to the power of artificial intelligence. Disney and Epic Games have collaborated to bring Jones' voice back to life, allowing players to interact with the legendary Star Wars villain in-game.
This innovative feature utilizes AI models from Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash and ElevenLabs' Flash v2.5 to recreate Jones' distinctive voice. Players can now speak to Darth Vader within Fortnite and even recruit him to help secure a Victory Royale. The project has been developed with the consent of Jones' family, who expressed their desire for fans to continue experiencing the character's voice.
The announcement has sparked debate about the ethics of using AI to resurrect the voices of deceased actors. However, Disney and Epic Games emphasize their commitment to transparency, consent, and safety in this project. This collaboration is part of Fortnite's ongoing Star Wars season, which includes five updates over five weeks and a themed battle pass.
Keywords: Fortnite, Darth Vader, James Earl Jones, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Star Wars, Epic Games, Disney, Gemini 2.0 Flash, ElevenLabs, Voice Cloning, Gaming, Video Games, Technology, Respeecher