Epic Games is expanding its use of generative AI in Fortnite, giving 36 original characters consistent voices and personalities. Starting July 30, creators will be able to publish experiences featuring conversational versions of Agent Jonesy, Peely, Fishstick, Cuddle Team Leader, and many other popular characters.

These are advanced versions of characters that will not be limited to pre-recorded voiceovers. Instead, they will be able to talk to players, remember events, and trigger gameplay actions. While interesting, this change has also caused a lot of controversy, especially after Fortnite already dealt with similar complaints last year.

Fortnite’s AI may be completely replacing voice actors

According to Epic Games, the voices were not created by copying existing Fortnite performances without permission. The company says it recorded independent professional actors specifically for characters used in developer-made islands. Those actors agreed to let their performances be used to develop voice models capable of generating spoken responses.

The process means human performers were involved in creating the 36 voices. However, the finished models can produce large amounts of dialogue without an actor recording every individual line.

It’s important to note that the game developer was given permission to use James Earl Jones’ voice for Darth Vader. Still, this did not help its case, especially after players tricked the character into saying unintended things.

Epic has introduced restrictions for creators using the system. AI characters cannot be designed to provide medical or mental health guidance, imitate romantic partners, or bypass Epic’s safety protections. Creators who break these rules may face enforcement action, including account bans. Still, the Darth Vader incident showed how quickly players can test the limits of an unscripted character.

The Fortnite developer will need to implement a strong moderation system that can handle numerous prompts at a large scale. With Fortnite growing once again, millions of players could start conversations with AI characters every day, which could be quite chaotic.

Fortnite creators can begin publishing experiences with AI-powered conversations on July 30. In the meantime, players can check out the latest free Fortnite skins that are available for a limited time. Furthermore, some of the best XP maps allow players to level up quickly and unlock more Battle Pass cosmetics.