Developers at DICE have mysteriously removed Emperor Sheev Palpatine from the roster of EA's Star Wars Battlefront II and the game's fans aren't sure when or if he'll be back. As one of the ultimate villains of George Lucas' Star Wars and the expanded universe since he first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, Palpatine has also proved to be a powerful character to have on side in Battlefront II.

From the devastating loot box scandal to continuous ripples that it is simply too late for Battlefront II, it hasn't exactly had an easy ride for the Star Wars shooter. It is thought that Palpatine was pulled from the game on July 5 when developers once again restored his cataclysmic Force lightning abilities. Effectively making the Emperor one of the most powerful characters on the battlefield, the Force lightning has been a point of contention for players that have seen it as an unfair advantage since the title's release.

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The game's mechanics originally allowed Palpatine to shoot his Force lightning through walls, which was a power he was quickly stripped of until recently. Posting on the Battlefront community forum, community manager "F8rge" explained why Sheev has been been completely removed:

"We plan to execute our Kill Switch (KS) for him. This means he will be removed from the game. He will be disabled until a hotfix can be deployed. We don’t take this decision lightly, but we feel it is in the best interest for everyone until a fix can be deployed."

That was a week ago and there is still no sign of the Emperor's swishing cape or sound of his crackling voice. DICE may be promising Palpatine's return at some point in the future, but until then, gamers are left playing with the likes of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, and of course, Bossk.

While Palpatine is still available in offline modes, it isn't quite the same as reliving Revenge of the Sith and blasting other players across the screen with a zap of Force lightning. It is ironic that Palpatine has been nerfed with an online Order 66 until further notice. Unfortunately, the news and lack of quick response by EA is just the latest in a run of negative press for the game. Balance changes are nothing new for online games like Battlefront II, but to nix such a big character and then try to fly it under the radar in the depths of a forum post is as sneaky as Sidious himself.

For those willing to stick with Battlefield II, there is still plenty to look forward to thanks to an upcoming release of Clone Wars content and familiar faces like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and General Grievous. The game was still a big presence at E3 2018 and EA looks to be trying to rectify the problems of the past. That being said, with the Empire currently left without the Emperor, fans are wondering if the ghostly visage of Palpatine will ever sit on the Star Wars Battlefront II throne again.

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Source: Battlefront Forums