These last few months though things have gotten out of control, leading to many complaints.What we have seen is that in some cases people are using these flags in inappropriate ways." Those ways include, Trifonov said, images and symbols of Nazism that are prohibited in many European countries.

In the U.S. it is okay to War Thunder Golden Eagles use swastikas in the media and video games or whatever," Trifonov said. "But in Europe, and in Russia, it is strictly forbidden in video games. So when someone tries to put these kinds of symbols into the game, Gaijin can get into a lot of trouble."

But it's not just swastikas that were creating a furor in War Thunder's community. Many players were using combinations of flags in ways that were offensive to many nationalities and religions. There was also the issue of realism.