Max Ordinate Academy Group

It’s a weird gray area I’ve bumped into more than once. With fan made recreations, you’re usually safe because someone built that model from scratch using their own skill, so it falls under transformative work even if it mimics the original character. With a ripped model, you’re literally taking the studio’s actual data without permission, which breaks copyright and often the game’s EULA. I learned this the hard way when I was looking at 3d Printer files for a prop and realized the original game geometry is essentially their property, while a fan remake is more like a painting of a character you own. The legal risk with rips is real if you ever share or sell prints, whereas recreations sit in a softer spot. Both can get attention from lawyers if money changes hands, but one is clearly theft of code and the other is inspiration.