Overview
- Epic added an Experimental “conversations” tool in the v40.20 update to Unreal Editor for Fortnite that lets creators build NPCs with live, unscripted dialogue, memory, and gameplay-triggering behavior using short prompts.
- Epic confirmed the system runs on Google’s Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite for responses and ElevenLabs for voices, with creators able to set tone, delivery, and personality.
- Islands that use these AI NPCs cannot be published until the feature reaches Beta, and Epic says current response times are slower than target and voice models are not final.
- Epic says it will not store player audio and it updated developer rules to bar medical or mental health advice, romantic or companion personas, and attempts to bypass content filters, with violations risking account bans.
- Wccftech reports Epic is covering Gemini and ElevenLabs costs during testing, and PCGamesN highlights skepticism about reliability and creative value after past AI-NPC exploits and recent pushback on generative AI in games.