Apple seems to be partially walking back its recent efforts to remove all apps and games featuring the Confederate battle flag from the iOS App Store. Reports and public statements from Apple suggest the company is working to reinstate games that use the flag in an "educational or historical" context.

Apple's full statement on the matter, issued to many press outlets, reads as follows:

We have removed apps from the App Store that use the Confederate flag in offensive or mean-spirited ways, which is in violation of our guidelines. We are not removing apps that display the Confederate flag for educational or historical uses.

Despite that statement, yesterday saw the App Store removal of numerous games that use the Confederate flag merely to represent the Southern side in historical war simulations. As strategy game maker HexWar told Touch Arcade at the time, "We're in no way sympathetic to the use of the flag in an offensive way, we used it purely because historically that was the flag that was used at the time."

Touch Arcade reports that Apple has since been in touch with some iOS developers to work on getting their games reinstated, but that those games would "have to either remove or replace the Confederate flag" to get back on the App Store. However, TechCrunch reports that talks with unnamed Apple representatives suggest the company is looking to simply reinstate games and apps that make those "historical or educational uses" of the flag without delay. "Apple’s intention is not to lose games from the App Store, but rather remove those titles that could offend," the site paraphrased.

It's all a bit vague and confusing at this point, but signs seem to be pointing toward Apple scaling back what appeared to be a blanket ban on the use of the flag in games and apps. Apple has yet to respond to our request for comment on the matter.