Learning how to use Conversations in Fortnite UEFN allows creators to add AI-powered NPCs that listen to players, respond through voice and remain in character during unscripted interactions. Unlike the traditional Conversation device, the new LLM Conversations system does not require creators to manually write every possible question and answer.
Creators instead build a Persona that defines the NPC’s personality, knowledge, voice and behaviour. That Persona is connected to an NPC Character Definition, assigned to an NPC Spawner and registered for conversations using Verse.
Fortnite v41.30 moved Conversations out of Experimental, meaning eligible creators can now publish islands containing LLM-powered characters. However, the setup is more involved than simply dragging an NPC onto an island.
This guide explains how to use Conversations in Fortnite UEFN, create a Persona, test the character and add the finished AI NPC to a playable island.
What You Need to Use Conversations in Fortnite UEFN
Before creating an AI-powered character, you will need an island project opened through Unreal Editor for Fortnite.
The full setup uses several connected parts:
| UEFN feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Persona | Defines the NPC’s personality, knowledge and voice |
| Prompt Editor | Lets you write and test the Persona |
| NPC Character Definition | Stores the NPC’s appearance, behaviour and Persona settings |
| NPC Spawner | Places and spawns the character on the island |
| Verse behaviour | Registers the NPC as a conversation target |
| Voice chat | Allows the player to speak to the character |
Creators should be comfortable navigating the UEFN Content Browser and editing device settings. Some Verse work is also required before players can speak to the NPC during a session.
Epic describes the quickest starting method as creating an NPC Character Definition and adding a Persona Modifier to it. The Persona Modifier contains the character facts, personality, voice and interruption behaviour used during conversations.
How to Use Conversations in Fortnite UEFN
The complete process can be divided into six main stages:
- Create an NPC Character Definition.
- Add and configure the Persona Modifier.
- Develop the character inside the Prompt Editor.
- Create an NPC behaviour using Verse.
- place the NPC Character Definition through an NPC Spawner.
- Launch a session with voice chat enabled and test the conversation.
Each part affects the finished character. A strong personality prompt will not help if the NPC has not been registered correctly, while a perfectly configured Spawner will not create convincing dialogue if the Persona lacks clear instructions.
Step 1: Create an NPC Character Definition
Begin by opening the Content Browser inside UEFN.
Create a new NPC Character Definition and give it a clear name related to the character. Using a descriptive name becomes increasingly important when a project contains several different NPCs.
For example, a creator building a fantasy village might use names such as:
- BlacksmithNPCDefinition
- VillageGuardNPCDefinition
- PotionSellerNPCDefinition
- QuestGiverNPCDefinition
The NPC Character Definition controls the character associated with the Spawner. It can contain modifiers that affect appearance, behaviour and conversation features.
Once the definition has been created, open it and locate the list of NPC Character Modifiers.
Step 2: Add the Persona Modifier
Add the Persona Modifier to the NPC Character Definition.
This is the part of the setup that gives the character access to AI-powered conversation features. Without a configured Persona, the NPC will not have the personality and knowledge needed to produce suitable responses.
The Persona Modifier contains options covering:
- Character personality
- Character knowledge
- Speaking voice
- Interruption behaviour
- Conversation instructions
- Facts the NPC should know
Epic’s documentation identifies the Persona Modifier as the quickest route for beginning a new conversational NPC.
Creators should think of the Persona as the character’s operating instructions. The clearer those instructions are, the more consistently the NPC should behave.
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Step 3: Define the NPC Personality
The next stage when learning how to use Conversations in Fortnite UEFN is deciding who the character actually is.
A Persona needs more than a short description such as “friendly shopkeeper.” That instruction is too broad and gives the system very little guidance about how the NPC should behave.
A stronger character description might establish:
- The NPC’s name and occupation
- Its attitude towards the player
- Its immediate objective
- Its fears or dislikes
- The information it knows
- The information it must not reveal
- Its preferred speaking style
- The expected length of its answers
- How easily it becomes annoyed
- Whether it should ask the player questions
For example, a creator could define a potion seller who is cheerful, speaks quickly and tries to persuade every visitor to buy an obviously suspicious purple potion.
The same island could contain a guard who distrusts strangers, answers briefly and refuses to reveal the location of a hidden entrance unless the player provides the correct password.
Clear personality instructions help prevent every AI NPC from feeling like the same generic assistant wearing a different character model.
Step 4: Add Character Knowledge
Personality controls how the NPC behaves, while knowledge controls what the NPC understands about the island.
The character knowledge should include facts relevant to its role, such as:
- Important locations
- Quest information
- Other characters
- Island rules
- Available items
- Story events
- Clues and passwords
- Prices or rewards
- Subjects the NPC cannot discuss
A shopkeeper might need to know what each item costs. A quest character might need to know where the player should travel next. A mystery NPC may know several clues but be instructed not to reveal the final answer directly.
Avoid filling the Persona with information the character will never need. Focused knowledge makes it easier to test whether the NPC is behaving correctly.
The Prompt Editor includes dedicated Personality and Knowledge fields that influence generated NPC responses.
Step 5: Choose the NPC Voice
The Persona Modifier also allows creators to select how the character sounds.
The chosen voice should match the personality and role of the NPC. A serious military commander may need a different delivery from a nervous shop assistant or excitable game-show host.
Creators using established Fortnite characters may encounter additional limitations. Epic has given a selection of official Fortnite characters consistent voices and personalities, reducing the ability to make recognised characters behave completely differently from their established identities.
Original characters provide more freedom because the creator can define their personality and presentation from the beginning.
When testing a voice, listen for:
- Clarity
- Speaking speed
- Emotional suitability
- Response length
- Whether interruptions feel natural
- Whether the voice fits the character model
A well-written Persona can still feel unconvincing when paired with an unsuitable voice.
Step 6: Open the Fortnite UEFN Prompt Editor
The Prompt Editor is used to develop and test the Persona before it is placed into a live island session.
Epic describes the Prompt Editor as a UEFN window where creators define character behaviour through prompts and test generated conversations. It includes Personality and Knowledge fields, alongside tools for running individual conversations or generating larger groups of test responses.
Use the Prompt Editor to check whether the NPC:
- Remains in character
- Understands important island facts
- Avoids restricted information
- Gives appropriately sized answers
- Responds naturally to unexpected questions
- Refuses requests it should not fulfil
- Directs players towards the intended objective
- Handles repeated questions consistently
Do not test only the ideal conversation. Players will ask strange, irrelevant and deliberately disruptive questions.
A character should therefore be tested with both expected and unexpected prompts.
How to Test a Persona Properly
A useful Persona test should cover several different situations.
Ask the character questions it should answer correctly, such as where a location can be found or what objective the player should complete.
Then ask questions it should refuse to answer. For example, attempt to make a secretive NPC reveal a password before the correct condition has been met.
You should also test questions that are unrelated to the island. This shows whether the character remains focused or suddenly begins behaving like a general-purpose chatbot.
Useful testing categories include:
| Test | What it reveals |
|---|---|
| Basic introduction | Whether the character explains its role naturally |
| Island knowledge | Whether important facts are available |
| Restricted information | Whether secrets remain protected |
| Repeated question | Whether responses remain consistent |
| Irrelevant subject | Whether the NPC stays in character |
| Hostile player | How the NPC reacts to rude behaviour |
| Vague request | Whether the NPC asks useful follow-up questions |
| Long conversation | Whether the personality remains stable |
Continue adjusting the Personality and Knowledge prompts until the NPC behaves consistently.
Step 7: Create the NPC Behaviour in Verse
Creating the Persona is not enough to make the character conversational during gameplay.
Epic’s setup requires creators to define a new npc_behavior in Verse. That behaviour must then be added to the NPC Character Definition before the character is placed through an NPC Spawner.
The Verse behaviour is responsible for connecting the spawned NPC to the conversation system.
This is an important part of how to use Conversations in Fortnite UEFN because it is easy to assume the Persona Modifier handles the entire process automatically. It does not.
The general workflow is:
- Create a new Verse file for the NPC behaviour.
- Define a class based on
npc_behavior. - Register the NPC as a valid conversation target.
- Build and compile the Verse code.
- Assign the completed behaviour to the NPC Character Definition.
Use clear names for each Verse file and behaviour, particularly when the island contains multiple conversational characters.
Creators should follow Epic’s current code example when building this portion because Verse APIs and required imports can change between UEFN releases.
Step 8: Add the Behaviour to the NPC Definition
Return to the NPC Character Definition after compiling the Verse behaviour.
Assign the new behaviour to the character and confirm that the Persona Modifier remains attached.
At this stage, the NPC Character Definition should contain the main elements required for conversation:
- Character appearance
- Persona Modifier
- Selected voice
- Character personality
- Character knowledge
- Custom NPC behaviour
Save the asset before continuing.
Any Verse errors should be resolved before launching a playtest. A failed build can prevent the behaviour from being available inside the NPC Character Definition.
Step 9: Add the NPC Spawner
The next part of how to use Conversations in Fortnite UEFN is placing the finished character on the island.
Epic’s documented method is to drag the configured NPC Character Definition from the Content Drawer into the Viewport. This creates or configures an NPC Spawner using that definition.
Position the Spawner where players can approach the character comfortably.
Consider leaving enough space around the NPC to prevent:
- Players becoming trapped
- Other props blocking interaction prompts
- The character spawning inside scenery
- Combat interrupting every conversation
- Several NPC prompts overlapping
- Environmental audio drowning out dialogue
The NPC should be easy to find unless hiding it is an intentional part of the island.
Step 10: Enable Voice Chat
Voice chat must be enabled for players to speak with Persona NPCs.
This is one of the most important requirements in the entire setup. An NPC may spawn correctly and display the expected interaction prompt, but the conversation will not function properly when voice chat is unavailable.
Epic explicitly lists enabled voice chat as a prerequisite for speaking with Persona NPCs.
Creators should check:
- Voice chat is enabled in Fortnite
- The correct input device is selected
- Microphone permissions are active
- Push-to-talk settings are understood
- Parental controls are not blocking AI communication
- The testing account is eligible to use the feature
Players with restricted accounts may require permission from a parent or guardian before communicating with AI-powered characters.
Step 11: Launch a UEFN Session
After completing the NPC Character Definition, Persona, Verse behaviour and NPC Spawner setup, launch a play session.
Start the game and approach the NPC.
An on-screen prompt should appear showing the button or key used to begin a conversation. Activate the prompt and speak to the character using voice chat.
Epic’s current instructions say players can begin conversing by launching a session, starting the game and pressing the indicated interaction control while near the NPC.
During the first test, confirm that:
- The NPC spawns
- The interaction prompt appears
- Voice input is detected
- The character responds
- The correct Persona is being used
- The voice matches the selected settings
- The NPC remains in character
- The conversation can be ended normally
Test with multiple players where possible because multiplayer interactions may expose problems that do not appear during a solo session.
How to Make Fortnite UEFN Conversations Better
Getting an NPC to speak is only the first stage. The more difficult task is making the conversation useful and entertaining.
Strong Fortnite UEFN Conversations usually have a clear reason to exist.
The NPC should help the player do something, learn something or make a decision. A character that talks endlessly without affecting the experience may initially appear impressive but quickly become background noise.
Useful conversational roles include:
- Quest giver
- Shopkeeper
- Tutorial character
- Interrogation target
- Puzzle master
- Travel guide
- Story companion
- Rival
- Judge
- Negotiator
- Mystery suspect
Give each NPC a clear objective and ensure its responses support that objective.
Keep AI NPC Answers Short
Long AI-generated responses can slow down gameplay.
Players may leave before the NPC finishes speaking, particularly in multiplayer islands or action-heavy experiences. Creators should therefore instruct most characters to answer in short, direct sentences.
Longer dialogue may work in role-playing or story islands, but even there, the character should avoid delivering several paragraphs in response to a simple question.
Prompt instructions could tell the NPC to:
- Use no more than two sentences
- Answer briefly unless asked for detail
- Reveal one clue at a time
- Ask only one question per response
- Avoid repeating information
- Give directions in clear stages
These restrictions can make the conversation feel more like game dialogue and less like an open-ended AI chat.
Give the NPC a Clear Purpose
Every conversational character should have a purpose that players can understand.
A weak Persona might simply state that the NPC is helpful. A stronger Persona explains what the character wants and how it should behave when pursuing that goal.
For example:
A castle guard wants to prevent unauthorised players from entering. The guard is suspicious, impatient and only opens the gate after hearing the correct passphrase.
That description provides the AI with a role, motivation, attitude and condition for success.
A clear purpose also makes testing easier because the creator can judge whether each answer supports the intended gameplay.
Use Structured Output to Affect Gameplay
Creators who want their conversations to change the island can use Structured Output.
Structured Output allows the LLM behind the NPC to return user-defined information that Verse can use in gameplay logic. Epic gives examples such as handling multiple-choice answers or deciding whether a proposed price is acceptable.
Potential uses include:
- Checking whether a player answered correctly
- Deciding whether an NPC trusts the player
- Unlocking a door
- Changing an item price
- Beginning a quest
- Awarding an item
- Selecting a story branch
- Triggering an alarm
- Revealing a hidden area
This is where Conversations can become more than a novelty. The player’s words can influence what happens next rather than producing dialogue with no gameplay consequence.
Structured Output requires additional Verse work and should usually be added after the basic Persona conversation is functioning correctly.
Can You Publish Islands With Fortnite UEFN Conversations?
Yes. Conversations left Experimental with the v41.30 Fortnite ecosystem update.
Creators can now publish eligible islands containing LLM-powered NPCs and characters. Before this change, developers could test the feature but could not publish an island relying on it.
Publishing still requires the island and its content to satisfy Epic’s current Fortnite Developer Rules, moderation requirements and technical validation checks.
Creators should thoroughly test:
- Character responses
- Restricted topics
- Voice behaviour
- Player reporting
- Parental-control limitations
- Multiplayer interactions
- Gameplay triggers
- Verse errors
- Island performance
The ability to publish Conversations does not remove the creator’s responsibility for the experience produced by the feature.
Why Fortnite UEFN Conversations Are Not Working
Several common problems can prevent a Persona NPC from working correctly.
The NPC Does Not Spawn
Check that the correct NPC Character Definition has been assigned to the NPC Spawner.
Also confirm that the Spawner is enabled and that its spawn settings allow the character to appear during the current game phase.
The NPC Spawns but Cannot Talk
Confirm that the NPC Character Definition contains the Persona Modifier and the correct custom NPC behaviour.
The character must be registered as a conversation target through Verse.
The Interaction Prompt Does Not Appear
Make sure the Verse behaviour compiled successfully and has been assigned to the character.
Check that the player is close enough to the NPC and that another object or interaction is not interfering with the prompt.
The NPC Does Not Hear the Player
Check voice-chat settings, microphone permissions and the selected input device.
Persona conversations require voice chat. Typing into ordinary Fortnite text chat does not replace the required voice interaction.
The NPC Gives Incorrect Information
Return to the Prompt Editor and improve the Knowledge instructions.
State important facts directly and remove vague or contradictory information.
The NPC Breaks Character
Strengthen the Personality prompt and explain how the character should respond to irrelevant or manipulative questions.
Test several unexpected prompts before publishing.
The NPC Talks for Too Long
Add an instruction limiting responses to one or two short sentences.
You can also tell the character to reveal information gradually rather than explaining everything in one answer.
The Verse Behaviour Is Missing
Build the Verse project and resolve every compilation error.
A behaviour that has not compiled successfully may not appear as an option inside the NPC Character Definition.
Fortnite UEFN Conversations Setup Checklist
Before considering the AI NPC complete, check each part of the setup.
| Requirement | Complete |
|---|---|
| NPC Character Definition created | |
| Persona Modifier added | |
| Personality written | |
| Knowledge added | |
| Voice selected | |
| Persona tested in Prompt Editor | |
| NPC behaviour created in Verse | |
| Verse code compiled | |
| Behaviour assigned to NPC definition | |
| NPC Spawner placed | |
| Voice chat enabled | |
| Conversation tested in a live session | |
| Unexpected questions tested | |
| Multiplayer behaviour tested | |
| Publishing rules reviewed |
Completing this checklist should prevent most basic setup problems.
Is It Worth Using Conversations in Fortnite UEFN?
Creators should use Conversations when unscripted dialogue adds something meaningful to the island.
The feature is particularly well suited to role-playing games, mysteries, social experiences, educational islands and story-driven adventures. It can also support shops, negotiations, quizzes and quests when combined with Structured Output.
Not every NPC needs AI-powered dialogue. A traditional Conversation device may still be better when the creator requires exact wording, predictable player choices or a tightly controlled story sequence.
The strongest islands will likely combine both systems. Scripted conversations can handle crucial story moments, while AI-powered Personas provide optional dialogue and more natural interactions elsewhere.
Learning how to use Conversations in Fortnite UEFN takes more setup than placing a normal device, but the system gives creators an entirely new way to build characters. By combining a carefully written Persona, tested knowledge, suitable voice, NPC Spawner and Verse behaviour, developers can create island characters that listen and respond differently during every session.
