It’s a bummer how killing strangers for your government is glorified.

Killing for yourself: Government will track you down, kick your door in and throw you in prison and maybe send you into the death row.

Killing for your government: Government will provide training, shelter, equipment, pay you and award you medals.

In most jurisdictions this project wouldn’t have any problem, when it’s a “clean room” implementation - meaning they figured out by themselves how the server works.

Several jurisdictions even allow reverse engineering and such to ensure compatibility / supporting an product that hasn’t any official support anymore.

Others simply don’t care.

It’s all in the details, but they might not get sued that easily.

Also they could tell them after completing all tests/finishing ths study.

The problem isn’t that it can’t get wet. The problem is that it mustn’t get wet.