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darth vader in fortnite
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Fortnite sued over Darth Vader AI for unfair labor practice

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Fortnite’s latest Star Wars update brought an AI-powered Darth Vader and a legal complaint from actors’ union SAG-AFTRA.

On May 16, 2025, Fortnite introduced a new Darth Vader as part of Chapter 6: Galactic Battle. This version wasn’t just a boss fight – he actually talked back. Players could use voice chat to interact with him in real time. The voice, modeled after prolific actor James Earl Jones, came from AI tools developed by Google and ElevenLabs.

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Epic Games secured permission from Jones’s estate, who supported the project. They stated the goal was to preserve Vader’s voice for future generations. Epic emphasized that player data wasn’t stored or used to train the AI.

But within hours of launch, some players pushed the AI to spout harmful or offensive speech. Viral clips quickly spread across social media. Epic deployed a fix within 30 minutes and locked the feature behind parental controls. Still, the incident raised concerns about using generative AI for iconic characters, especially in games with younger audiences.

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Darth Vader’s voice sparks union lawsuit over AI use in Fortnite

Now, SAG-AFTRA has filed a formal labor complaint against the game. The union alleges that Epic and Llama Productions, a signatory company for Fortnite, replaced union-covered voice work without proper notice or negotiation.

Epic Games

Their claim centers on labor practices, not permissions. While they support the rights of estates like Jones’s, SAG-AFTRA argues that using AI to replace human performers without union involvement violates labor rules.

The union sees this as part of a larger trend in the entertainment industry. AI is increasingly used to replicate performances, often without clear agreements in place.

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The concern isn’t just about one game, it’s about protecting working conditions for voice actors across the industry.

The outcome of this case could set new standards for how AI is introduced into games. If the NLRB finds in SAG-AFTRA’s favor, companies may be required to negotiate AI usage more transparently moving forward.

Meanwhile, Fortnite is still navigating legal fallout from another front. Despite winning its case against Apple, the game remains unavailable on the iOS App Store. The courtroom victory hasn’t yet restored access for mobile players, which is just another unresolved chapter in Fortnite’s evolving future.

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SAG-AFTRA says Fortnite's AI Darth Vader voice violates fair labor practices
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SAG-AFTRA says Fortnite’s AI Darth Vader voice violates fair labor practices

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SAG-AFTRA, the labor union representing performers in film, television and interactive media, has submitted an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) filing against Epic Games for using an AI-generated version of Darth Vader’s voice in the current season of Fortnite. Disney and Epic first announced on May 16 that Fortnite would feature a take on the character using an AI-generated version of James Earl Jones’ voice.

The issue in SAG-AFTRA’s eyes is that the union is currently on strike while it negotiates a new contract with video game companies, and using an AI-generated voice represents Epic refusing to “bargain in good faith.” The AI-powered version of Darth Vader is interactive, but that doesn’t change the fact that the video game version of Darth Vader has frequently been played by actors other than Jones.

Disney got permission from Jones and his family to use AI to replicate his voice for film and TV in 2022, so there is precedent for an AI performance of this kind. After Jones’ death in September 2024, the AI route technically became the only way to use Darth Vader’s “original voice,” other than reusing clips of past performances. Unless of course Epic or Disney wanted to pay another actor to play Darth Vader, which would require coming to an agreement on a new contract for video game performers.

ULP filings are reviewed by the National Labor Review Board and can lead to hearings and injunctive relief (a court ordering Epic to remove Darth Vader from the game until a settlement is reached, for example). They are also often used as a way for unions to provoke companies to come back to the bargaining table or respond with a more realistic offer. SAG-AFTRA’s Interactive Media Strike has been ongoing since July 26, 2024. SAG-AFTRA members originally voted in favor of a strike in September 2023 for better wages and AI protections.

Engadget has reached out to both Disney and Epic for comment on SAG-AFTRA’s ULP filing. We’ll update this article if we hear back.



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SAG-AFTRA files an unfair labor practice for AI Darth Vader in Fortnite
Esports

SAG-AFTRA files an unfair labor practice for AI Darth Vader in Fortnite

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SAG-AFTRA – the union that represents 160,000 actors, voiceover artists, and other media professionals – has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Llama Productions and Epic Games for using AI to portray Darth Vader in Fortnite.

SAG-AFTRA said it celebrated the rights of artists – such as James Earl Jones’ estate – to use digital replicas, but said Epic Games did so “without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms.”

“We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of those legacies and renowned roles,” the organization said.

“However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games.

“Fortnite’s signatory company, Llama Productions, chose to replace the work of human performers with A.I. technology,” the statement added. “Unfortunately, they did so without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms. As such, we have filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB against Llama Productions.”

The filing itself says: “Within the past six months, [Epic Games], by its agents and representatives, failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union by making unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment, without providing notice to the union or the opportunity to bargain, by utilizing AI-generated voices to replace bargaining unit work on the Interactive Program Fortnite.”

GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Epic Games for comment.

SAG-AFTRA voted to strike at the end of July after it failed to reach an agreement with the convenience bargaining group over rights and protection concerns raised by the industry’s exploration of AI technologies.

SAG-AFTRA issued an update about the strike in March, saying it remained “frustratingly far apart” from video game studios and publishers. It came after two Zenless Zone Zero voice actors claimed they had been replaced for participating in the SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Since then, the union has issued two new agreements to permit members to work with students and game jams. Last week, it responded to the “video game employers’ April 30 offer “with a comprehensive AI proposal” detailing “in plain language what the proposed changes would mean for performers.”



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SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Against Epic Games Due To A.I. Darth Vader
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SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Against Epic Games Due To A.I. Darth Vader

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Last week, Epic Games added a Darth Vader NPC to its battle royale game, Fortnite, as an AI-voiced character. Trained on the voice of James Earl Jones, who is the voice of Vader in the Star Wars movies and elsewhere, it didn’t take long for players to get this NPC Vader to say curse words and slurs, as reported by PC Gamer. Now, three days later, SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Epic-owned signatory company, Llama Productions.

However, it’s not because Fortnite is using AI to give Vader a voice per se. According to the complaint filed today, SAG-AFTRA claims Epic replaced bargained union voice work with this AI without notice, thereby breaking terms and conditions supposedly agreed on by both SAG-AFTRA and Epic.

“Within the past six months, the Employer, by its agents and representatives, failed and refused to bargain in good faith with the union by making unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment, without providing notice to the union or the opportunity to bargain, by utilizing AI-generated voices to replace bargaining unit work on the Interactive Program Fortnite,” the complaint against Llama Productions reads.

Disney

In a statement released following this filing, SAG-AFTRA says, “We celebrate the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas and welcome the use of new technologies to allow new generations to share in the enjoyment of these legacies and renowned roles. However, we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader’s iconic rhythm and tone in video games.”

The company says Llama Productions chose to replace human performers’ work with AI technology but did so “without providing any notice of their intent to do this and without bargaining with us over appropriate terms.” As such, SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the company with the NLRB.

Jones’ family is aware that an AI voice trained on him was added to Fortnite, as they released a statement confirming they collaborated with Epic to make this happen. They write, “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 excitement of this iconic character.”

Game Informer contacted Epic Games for comment and will update this story if it hears back.  



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