Modules by Department

At PlatanoGames we do not group courses randomly or follow generic structures. We have organized all the training modules in 12 technical departmentseach focused on a real specialty within the Unreal Engine development industry.

This organization responds to a practical need:
👉 To help the student to understand the complete engine mapping and to choose, combine or master the areas that best align with their interests and career objectives.

Each department represents a clear functional branchThe main areas of expertise include programming logic and system architecture, material creation, VFX, artificial intelligence and version control.
This not only facilitates structured learning, but also enables the learner:

Visualize your progress in logical and coherent blocks.
Avoid chaotic jumps between unconnected contents.
To deepen in a specialty without losing the global vision.
Better understand the flow between technical departments (for example: how gameplay, UI, animations and artificial intelligence communicate within the same system).

In addition, each department is divided into three levels (basic, intermediate and advanced)This allows you to build your training step by step or choose specific modules according to what you need to learn at the moment.

💡 This is an academy designed for professionals or aspiring professionals who are looking for modular, in-depth, and structured as in a real video game studio or technical simulation..

Departments

Programming and Code Architecture

Materials and Shading

VFX and Niagara

Animation and Rigging

AI and Behavior

Multiplayer and Networking

Technical Design and Gameplay Systems

Publisher and Engine

Optimization and Pipeline

Cinematics and Narrative

Technical Art and Integration

Version Control

Core Subjects

The key courses you need to understand Unreal Engine from the ground up. Master Blueprints, C++, visual logic and essential system design.

See

Frameworks

Access complete functional systems that you can reuse or adapt in your own projects. Learn how to build professional architecture and modular gameplay from scratch.

See Frameworks

Publication schedule

See which courses are launched in each quarter and how to progress according to your level. View your progress and find out when new routes and frameworks are unlocked.

View Calendar

Core subjects

This is where your solid foundation begins. These subjects are essential for any technical profile: you will learn how to structure projects in a professional way, how to work in a team with version control, and how to build reusable logic in Blueprints and C++. They are the backbone of your training.

Onboarding

Get off to a good start. Find out how the academy works, how the courses are structured and what tools you can use to get the most out of them from day one.

See Module

Wiki

Intelligent documentation for real projects. Learn how to organize your systems, connect ideas between languages and maintain a solid technical foundation that is accessible to the entire team.

See Module

PGX Core Frameworks

Build your foundation. Learn C++ architecture exposed to Blueprints, and develop systems that are reusable, optimized and designed to scale without redoing.

See Module

Programming and Code Architecture

This department is the logical core of any complex project. You will learn how to structure efficient systems using both Blueprints and C++, understanding how to organize your code in a modular and scalable way. From base classes to hybrid architectures, here you will lay the foundation for building professional projects while maintaining clarity, performance and extensibility.

Level 1 - Fundamentals

You will learn C++ syntax applied to Unreal Engine and how to combine it with Blueprints. You will focus on good initial practices, simple structures and communication between classes.

Introduction to Blueprints and visual logic

Blueprints is Unreal Engine's visual scripting system, designed to create game logic without the need to program in code. It allows the development of complex mechanics through visual nodes, facilitating learning and experimentation. It is a particularly useful tool for those who are new to development or come from design backgrounds, as it allows to understand the execution flow in a clear and intuitive way.

See Module

Hybrid flow fundamentals: C++ and Blueprints working together

Learn how to combine the power of C++ with the flexibility of Blueprints in Unreal Engine. This course teaches you from the ground up how to integrate both languages to create hybrid projects that take advantage of the best of each world. You will understand how to expose variables, functions and events between C++ and Blueprint, create custom base classes and extend them visually without losing control over the engine.

See Module

Level 2 - Design and integration

You will start designing cleaner and more sustainable modular architectures, with a focus on separation of logic, inheritance, basic patterns and advanced use of UObjects and Components.

C++ Fundamentals for Unreal Engine

Master the pillars of the C++ language applied directly to Unreal Engine development. In this course you will learn the fundamentals of the language from the ground up, with a practical orientation to understand how to structure your code within the Unreal ecosystem. We will explore step by step the essential syntax, classes, functions, inheritance, pointers, and key structures, all applied to real projects in the engine.

See Module

Professional modular architecture with C++ and Blueprints

Learn how to properly structure your projects in Unreal Engine by combining C++ and Blueprints with a professional and modular architecture. This intermediate course guides you in creating scalable, maintainable and reusable systems, teaching you how to divide responsibilities, work with custom components, and connect different systems through interfaces, events and base hierarchies.

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will face real problems of scalability, performance and maintenance. You will master complex architectures, patterns such as ECS, asynchronous systems and advanced memory management.

Modular architecture and complex systems in C++

Learn how to design scalable, maintainable and professional architectures for your Unreal Engine projects using advanced C++. This course is geared towards experienced developers looking to take their knowledge to the next level, applying solid software design principles and modern architectural patterns within the engine ecosystem.

See Module

Optimization and Performance: Advanced Techniques for Real-World Games

Optimize your game like a professional studio would. In this advanced course you will learn critical optimization techniques for Unreal Engine projects, both CPU and GPU, reducing draw calls, improving load times, and applying strategies that directly impact the final performance of the game.

See Module

Materials and Shading

Master the Unreal Engine materials system, from basic settings to advanced shading. This department teaches you how to create realistic surfaces, stylized visual effects and optimized materials. You will learn to work with instances, reusable functions and parametric logic, allowing you to visually control the aesthetic behavior of the world you are creating.

Basic level - Fundamentals

You will learn to create functional materials from scratch, understand essential nodes and create basic effects for common surfaces.

Materials from scratch: basics and common uses

Start mastering Unreal Engine's material system from scratch. In this course you will learn how to create and understand basic materials, their main nodes and how they visually affect your scenes. You will discover how to use textures, parameters, and how to modify the appearance of surfaces in an intuitive and visual way.

See Module

Intermediate Level

You will go into the creation of Master Materials, Material Functions and more advanced techniques such as dynamic parameters and support for LODs.

Master Materials and Material Functions

Learn how to build professional, reusable and highly configurable material systems with Master Materials and Material Functions in Unreal Engine. This intermediate course will teach you how to create a robust structure to manage tens or hundreds of materials from a common base, reducing workload and improving project organization.

See Module

Advanced level

You will master complex techniques such as reactive materials, stylized effects, advanced blending, and global management through subsystems and pre-optimizations.

Advanced shading techniques and custom effects

Enter the world of advanced shading and push your materials to the limit with custom effects and professional techniques. This course is designed for expert users who want to create complex, visually stunning, production-optimized shaders. You will learn how to build unique visual effects using advanced nodes, mathematical functions, blending techniques, and conditional logics.

See Module

VFX and Niagara

Learn how to create stunning and responsive visual effects using the Niagara particle system. From explosions to atmospheric effects to interactive magic, this department prepares you to design visual experiences that respond dynamically to gameplay. You will learn how to connect particles with game data, animations, physics or environmental logic.

Fundamentals

You will learn the Niagara system and how to set up basic visual effects connected to game events.

Introduction to VFX and Niagara in Unreal Engine

Discover how to create stunning visual effects from scratch with Unreal Engine's Niagara system. This introductory course teaches you the basics of the engine's modern particle system, from initial setup to creating your first animated effects. You will learn how emission logic works, how to control particles with parameters, and how to work with modules to simulate fire, magic, explosions or ambience.

See Module

Level 2 - Design and integration

You will learn how to create complex systems, reactive loops, synchronization with gameplay and control from Blueprints.

Complex systems: reactive particles and loops

Take your visual effects to the next level by creating complex particle systems with reactive logic and looping behavior using Niagara. This intermediate course is geared towards those who already know the basics of the system and want to build more sophisticated effects that respond to game events, animations, or specific conditions in real time.

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will integrate dynamic particles, physics simulations, custom effects with curves, expressions and coordination with audio, lighting and shaders.

Advanced integration: Niagara + Blueprints + materials

Master the full integration of visual effects in Unreal Engine by uniting Niagara, Blueprints and the materials system into a single advanced flow. This expert course teaches you how to create fully dynamic effects, with visual and logical control from gameplay, using shared parameters, dynamic materials, event systems, and modular logic.

See Module

Animation and Rigging

Explore the complete animation process in Unreal: from custom rigs to real-time dynamic transitions. This department covers both the use of Animation Blueprints and Control Rigs, allowing you to manipulate skeletons, blends, states and reactive synchronization between game events and animation.

Fundamentals

You will understand how the animation system works in Unreal, from the skeleton to Animation Blueprint and simple blends.

Introduction to Animation Blueprint and Control Rigs

Learn how to control animations in Unreal Engine from scratch with Animation Blueprints and the basics of Control Rig. This course is designed for those who have never worked with real-time animation and want to understand how to build, modify and synchronize character and object movements.

See Module

Design and integration

You will master montages, synchronization, notifies, smooth transitions and logic control from code.

Contextual Animations and Control Rigs in Unreal Engine

Learn how to master precise animation control in Unreal Engine with Animation Montages, Notifies and reactive transitions. This intermediate course teaches you how to synchronize animations with gameplay, trigger actions from events, and design transition flows that respond to character state or player actions.

See Module

Advanced design and responsive gameplay

You will develop complex logic with nested states, overlays, reactive control and runtime with dynamic behavior based on gameplay.

Advanced animation with status, overlays and gameplay

Master Unreal Engine's most complex animation systems by combining Animation Blueprints, overlays, layers, conditional logic and real-time gameplay data. This expert course teaches you how to build a robust and flexible animation architecture for playable characters, with multiple states, dynamic transitions and accurate response to actions, weapons, environment and character condition.

See Module

AI and Behavior

Here you will learn how to give intelligence to your NPCs. From simple behaviors to complex decision trees with Blackboard and Behavior Trees. You will study perception, navigation, modular planning and gameplay oriented decision systems. Ideal for enemies, allies or any interactive entity in the world.

Fundamentals

You will learn the basics of behavior with AIController, simple insights and initial use of Behavior Trees and Blackboard.

AI Fundamentals in Unreal: BT and Blackboard

Learn how to create basic artificial intelligence with Behavior Trees and Blackboard in Unreal Engine from scratch. This course introduces you to the AI systems used by the engine to control enemies, NPCs and autonomous characters. You will see step-by-step how decision flow works, how to structure behaviors, and how to connect environmental data with character actions.

See Module

Level 2 - Design and integration

You will build systems for advanced perception, dynamic navigation and contextual decisions, including modular AI.

Modular AI and complex behaviors in Unreal Engine

Take your artificial intelligence systems to the next level by designing complex, modular and reusable behaviors in Unreal Engine. This intermediate course teaches you how to structure advanced behavior trees, integrate multiple Blackboards, use custom Services, and connect your AI to gameplay and environmental events efficiently.

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will design complex AIs with multiple behaviors, use of EQS, tactical decisions and reactive structures connected to systemic gameplay.

Advanced AI: Multi-Behaviors, EQS, and Combat

Develop advanced and professional artificial intelligence systems combining multiple behaviors, EQS (Environment Query System) and combat logic in Unreal Engine. This expert course is designed for those seeking total control over AI, integrating complex perception, tactical decisions, advanced navigation and coordination between NPCs.

See Module

Multiplayer and Networking

Create synchronized and efficient multiplayer experiences. This department covers replication, server-client logic, sessions, matchmaking and network data flow control. You will learn how to create cooperative or competitive experiences that work properly in an online environment, including authority control, lag compensation and network debugging.

Basic level - Fundamentals

You will understand the basics of multiplayer: replication, client-server, and how to validate network actions.

Introduction to multiplayer in Unreal Engine

See Module

Level 2 - Design and integration

You will implement modular multiplayer logic, advanced synchronization, authority and complex state replication.

Blueprints, Inputs and UI Replication

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will design multiplayer architectures complete with matchmaking, sessions, competitive logic, and large-scale network debugging.

Advanced systems: synchronization, Steam and EOS

Master high-level multiplayer systems by integrating advanced synchronization, Steam and Epic Online Services (EOS) into Unreal Engine. This expert course teaches you how to configure and deploy complete online systems, including dedicated sessions, matchmaking, user management, and network synchronization of complex systems such as inventories, skills, animations and persistent objects.

See Module

Technical Design and Gameplay Systems

Design professional playable systems that can easily scale. This department focuses on architectures such as GAS (Gameplay Ability System), data-driven design, modular systems, decoupled logic and advanced patterns to design reusable, configurable and powerful mechanics.

Fundamentals

You will learn how to build gameplay logics using Blueprint and C++, and how to design simple systems such as collection, states or basic missions.

Fundamentals of gameplay system design in Unreal Engine

Learn from scratch how to design and structure gameplay systems in Unreal Engine. This introductory course will teach you the fundamentals of creating interactive mechanics, controlling characters, triggering events and building basic systems such as inventories, doors, switches, visual and audio feedback.

See Module

Level 2 - Design and integration

You will begin to use data-driven architecture patterns, modular management, and separate visual and functional logic.

Implementation of Gameplay Ability System (GAS)

Learn how to use Unreal Engine's Gameplay Ability System (GAS) to create highly organized, scalable and professional gameplay skills, effects and systems. This intermediate course is designed for developers who want to integrate advanced combat logic, buffs, debuffs, cooldowns and states into player or AI controlled characters.

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will develop scalable systems with reactive logic, design by components, and application of the Gameplay Ability System (GAS).

Progression systems: economy, inventory, stats

Build advanced progression systems in Unreal Engine integrating economy, modular inventory and customizable statistics. This expert course teaches you how to design robust and scalable architectures that manage player growth, interaction with objects, and game economy (coins, resources, upgrades, trading).

See Module

Publisher and Engine

Here you will explore the deepest part of the Unreal editor: creating internal tools, customizing the workflow and modifying the engine. Ideal for those who want to create tools that make designers' lives easier, automate processes or extend Unreal's functionality on a technical level.

Fundamentals

You will learn about editor tools, how to set up projects, navigate the interface and customize environments.

Introduction to engine modification

Discover how to access and modify the Unreal Engine source code to suit your needs. This introductory course teaches you step-by-step how to clone the engine from GitHub, compile it correctly, and make basic modifications to its behavior. You will learn how its internal structure works, how to detect editable points and how to create your own custom builds.

See Module

Design and integration

You will begin to create your own tools within the editor, such as custom commands, extended details and development utilities.

Creating custom tools

Learn how to create your own tools within the Unreal Engine editor to speed up your workflow and that of your team. This intermediate course teaches you how to develop custom utilities with Blueprints, Python and C++, integrated directly into the editor to automate tasks, extend functionality and build interactive panels or production scripts.

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will modify internal engine behaviors, compile custom builds and expand the editor with plugins or C++ modules.

Advanced Modification and Distribution

Delve into advanced Unreal Engine source code modification and learn how to distribute your own custom builds for production. This course is aimed at advanced users who need to create modified versions of the engine, either to implement unique features, optimize for specific platforms or integrate external systems.

See Module

Optimization and Pipeline

Learn how to optimize performance and production flow. This department teaches you how to measure, analyze and improve aspects of CPU, GPU, draw calls, shaders and level loading. It also covers folder organization, naming conventions, import/export flows, and how to prepare your projects to grow without crashing.

Fundamentals

You will identify common bottlenecks, work with instances, compression and control of simple metrics.

Basic optimization of projects in Unreal Engine

Learn how to optimize your Unreal Engine projects from day one. This introductory course teaches you the basic performance principles and best practices to apply when working with scenes, lights, materials and Blueprints to avoid common mistakes that slow down development and affect the fluidity of the game.

See Module

Level 2 - Design and integration

You will learn how to organize your project professionally, optimize geometry, drawcalls, materials and data structures.

Professional production pipeline and project organization

Master project organization in Unreal Engine with a professional approach. In this intermediate course you will learn how to properly structure your production workflow from day one: from content planning and folder structure, to the use of source control, professional naming, configuration profiles, essential plugins and collaborative workflows.

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will implement advanced performance strategies in CPU, GPU, shaders and asynchronous logic for large-scale production.

Advanced rendering, CPU and GPU optimization in Unreal Engine

Master the optimization of Unreal Engine projects at a professional level, addressing in depth the performance of CPU, GPU and rendering pipeline. This expert course is aimed at developers working on projects with high visual or logical load (AAA games, simulations, VR), and need to ensure stable performance in demanding environments.

See Module

Cinematics and Narrative

Design visual stories within the engine. This department introduces you to Sequencer, camera control, event synchronization and interactive narrative design. Learn how to tell stories from within the engine, whether for cinematics, tutorials, key scenes or playable events with integrated logic.

Fundamentals

You will use Sequencer and other Unreal tools to create simple scenes, cameras and movements.

Interactive storytelling and sequence control

Learn how to tell interactive stories and control narrative sequences in Unreal Engine from scratch. This course teaches you how to use visual tools such as Level Sequencer, Blueprints and events to create controlled scenes, basic dialogue, cinematic cameras and narrative moments that respond to the player's actions.

See Module

Level 2 - Design and integration

You will learn to integrate cinematics with interactive logic, synchronized effects, complex cameras and sound.

Advanced narrative direction with reactive logic

Master the construction of complex narrative experiences in Unreal Engine using reactive logic, branching sequences, persistent states, and full control of the narrative flow. This expert course teaches you how to connect the narrative to the player's actions, managing dynamic dialogs, conditional triggers, and story evolution based on choices, variables and real-time events.

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will create complete narrative systems with dynamic triggers, reactive editing in runtime and full control of the visual and emotional flow.

Kinematics with Sequencer, cameras and triggers

Learn how to create professional cinematics and interactive scenes in Unreal Engine using Level Sequencer, advanced camera systems and trigger logic. This intermediate course is geared towards developers and artists who want to build complex visual sequences, integrated with gameplay, animations, sound and conditional logic.

See Module

Technical Art and Integration

The bridge between artists and programmers. You will learn how to implement artistic content within the engine in a professional, optimized and reactive way. This department includes asset integration, baking, lighting, LODs, instances, vertex color, and techniques to facilitate collaboration in large and complex environments.

Fundamentals

You will understand the flow between art and programming, import assets correctly and control LODs, collisions and basic materials.

Introduction to technical art and integration flow in Unreal Engine

Begin to understand the role of the technical artist in Unreal Engine and how the various visual assets are integrated into an interactive environment. This introductory course teaches you the basic workflow for importing, organizing and optimizing models, materials, animations and effects within the engine, serving as a bridge between the art and programming departments.

See Module

Level 2 - Design and integration

You will learn how to automate import processes, optimize resources, and resolve conflicts between aesthetics and performance.

Master materials and modular management

Learn how to design professional and scalable material systems in Unreal Engine using Master Materials and a modular structure. This intermediate course is intended for technical artists and developers who need to maintain visual control in large projects, improving efficiency, organization and reuse of materials through instances and functions.

See Module

Level 3 - Advanced design and reactive gameplay

You will create complete technical pipelines, automatic validations, programmed visualization and tools to robustly integrate artwork.

Advanced visual integration: PBR, tiling, hybrid materials

Perfect your shading skills in Unreal Engine by learning how to create efficient and visually accurate hybrid materials with advanced integration techniques. This course is geared towards technical artists and developers working with professional workflows in PBR (Physically Based Rendering) environments, modular materials, intelligent mapping (tiling), and advanced blending between materials.

See Module

Version Control

A pillar for teamwork and project security. You will learn how to use Git in a professional way, organizing your workflow by branches, commits and clean merges. This department teaches you how to avoid overwrites, content loss or synchronization errors in collaborative projects.

Fundamentals

This course will teach you how to use Git professionally within the Unreal Engine workflow. You will learn how to organize your project by branches, maintain a clean history, resolve conflicts, avoid overwrites and collaborate safely in a team. Includes initial setup, integration with platforms such as GitHub and best practices for individual projects and collaborative production.

Version control (Git)

Manage your versions like a pro. Avoid overwriting and work as a team with Git.

See Module