Getting Ready for Unreal Engine Development
Before diving into our program, let's talk about what you'll actually need. Not a checklist of demands—just honest preparation that'll help you get the most from your learning journey.
What You Should Have in Place
Look, we're not gatekeeping. But there are some practical things that'll make your experience smoother. Most students who struggle do so because they skip this part.
Decent Hardware Setup
Unreal Engine isn't exactly lightweight. You'll want a computer that can handle it without melting down. We've seen people try to learn on outdated laptops—it rarely ends well.
Realistic Time Commitment
Plan for 12-15 hours weekly. Some weeks you'll need more. That's just how learning complex systems works. If you're juggling three jobs, maybe wait until things calm down.
Clear Learning Goals
What do you actually want to build? Environmental design? Gameplay mechanics? Having some direction helps. Doesn't need to be perfect, but "I want to make games" is too vague to work with.
Problem-Solving Mindset
You're going to hit walls. Your code won't compile. Things will break for no apparent reason. If that sounds frustrating rather than interesting, game development might not be your thing.
Technical Specifications That Matter
These aren't suggestions. They're based on what actually works when you're compiling shaders at 2am and questioning your life choices.
Processor Power
Minimum Intel i7 or AMD Ryzen 7. Older generations struggle with real-time rendering. You'll spend half your time waiting otherwise.
Memory Requirements
16GB RAM is bare minimum. 32GB is comfortable. Unreal Engine is memory-hungry, especially with large projects and multiple tools open.
Graphics Card
NVIDIA GTX 1660 or better. AMD equivalents work too. Integrated graphics won't cut it—you need dedicated GPU power for viewport performance.
Storage Space
SSD with at least 100GB free. Unreal Engine itself takes space, and project files grow fast. HDDs are too slow for development work.
Internet Connection
Stable broadband for downloading assets, engine updates, and accessing learning materials. You'll be pulling gigabytes regularly.
Display Setup
1920x1080 minimum resolution. Dual monitors help immensely—one for engine, one for documentation. Single screen works but gets cramped.
The Right Mental Framework
Technical skills matter. But we've noticed something over the years—students with certain approaches tend to progress faster and enjoy the journey more.
Comfort with Experimentation
Breaking things teaches you how they work. Our best students aren't afraid to mess around with systems, even when the documentation is unclear.
Self-Directed Learning
We guide you, but you drive the process. If you need step-by-step instructions for everything, you'll struggle when building your own projects.
Community Engagement
Game development is collaborative. People who participate in discussions, share their work, and help others tend to learn faster and build better networks.
Patience with Complexity
Unreal Engine has layers upon layers. You won't understand everything immediately. That's normal. The students who accept this stay longer and accomplish more.
Who You'll Be Learning From
These are the people who'll actually guide your learning. Not corporate bios—real humans who've been where you are and know how to help you forward.
Alaric Brennfjord
Lead Programming InstructorSpent eight years building gameplay systems for mid-sized studios before teaching. He's the one who'll help you debug that blueprint that makes no sense at 11pm. Straight-talker who doesn't sugarcoat technical concepts.
Sienna Valkeapää
Technical Artist & MentorBridges the gap between art and code better than anyone we know. Worked on three shipped titles before joining our team. If your materials look wrong or your lighting breaks, she'll figure out why.