Fortnite is now giving cheaters "second chances" with 1-year bans that allow you to use the battle royale like it's Discord and do absolutely nothing else until you're freed from the void

Epic Games has announced fresh changes to its approach to dealing with cheaters in Fortnite, with some players soon to be given "second chances" that'll swap lifetime bans for one-year restrictions that'll make the game almost unusable, apart from its voice and text chat functionality.

In a blog post published yesterday, Epic confirms that as of April, first-time cheaters will get off slightly lighter than before, with one-year bans in place that'll only be extended to lifetime bans if they cheat a second time. "While maintaining game integrity is our top priority, we also believe in allowing second chances for players who made a bad decision and have learned from it," Epic explains.

What's funny is that anyone hit with one of these year-long bans will still maintain a tiny bit of game functionality, but I can't really imagine anyone wanting to use it. "For the duration of their first ban, players will be able to log in and text/voice chat with other players, but won't be able to matchmake into Epic- or creator-made experiences, or spectate other players," the post states. So, cheaters obviously won't be able to play anything, nor will they be able to watch anyone else play, but they can, for some reason, use Fortnite like it's Discord and talk to their friends from beyond the void. I have no idea why you'd choose to do this, but, uh, the option is there.

The anti-cheating protocol is slightly different for competitive Fortnite players. While the one-year ban for a first offense and lifetime ban for a second one still applies to regular matchmaking, using cheats in a tournament even once will result in a lifetime ban from tournaments and "potential loss of past tournament winnings."

As part of these changes, Epic has announced that any existing lifetime bans on cheaters that have been in effect for over a year will be lifted in April, so the rules don't just apply to newer offenses. However, "nothing changes" for "players who have sold cheats, or broken other rules resulting in a lifetime ban."

Last year, Epic stated it was "ramping up legal action against both players who cheat and cheat sellers," and in the post this week, adds: "Additional consequences may include legal repercussions."

For more games like Fortnite, be sure to check out our picks for the best battle royale games.