Fortnite's Star Wars-themed Galactic Battle event has been running since the beginning of the month, letting Star Wars and Fortnite fans alike live out their dreams of becoming a daring spacefarer in Disney's massive sci-fi universe. Today, the event has brought back one of Star Wars's most famous villains, but with a twist--players can directly speak to him, with the AI-generated voice of James Earl Jones providing responses in real time.
Vader has replaced the Samurai Darth Vader variant on the map, specifically at the Vader Samurai's Solitude location in the bottom-left corner. Players can challenge him to a duel, and if they are victorious, Vader will join them for the remainder of the match--and speak with them throughout by pressing the specific prompt.
Players can use an in-game prompt to hear Vader speak any phrase they wish, though that does come with limitations--some players are reporting that topics like violence to real-world people, religion, politics, and more are off the table. At least one user has inadvertently caused Vader to use profanity, however.
The family of James Earl Jones provided a statement regarding the event on the official Fortnite blog. "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," the statement reads. "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."
Fortnite is available now for free on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices.
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Vader has replaced the Samurai Darth Vader variant on the map, specifically at the Vader Samurai's Solitude location in the bottom-left corner. Players can challenge him to a duel, and if they are victorious, Vader will join them for the remainder of the match--and speak with them throughout by pressing the specific prompt.
GAMEPLAY OF THE DARTH VADER AI, THIS IS CRAZY
(via @FN_Assist) pic.twitter.com/8AbyEc7vR2
— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) May 16, 2025
Players can use an in-game prompt to hear Vader speak any phrase they wish, though that does come with limitations--some players are reporting that topics like violence to real-world people, religion, politics, and more are off the table. At least one user has inadvertently caused Vader to use profanity, however.
The family of James Earl Jones provided a statement regarding the event on the official Fortnite blog. "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," the statement reads. "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."
Fortnite is available now for free on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices.
Source