Charting Virtual Worlds: Training in Game Translation and Localization at a Brazilian University

The escalating global prominence of the game industry underscores the critical need for specialized translation and localization expertise. This article presents a case study of the Undergraduate Program in Translation at Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, a Brazilian public university that has been providing dedicated training in game localization for the last 15 years. The core of the Federal University of Uberlândia’s offering is a 60-hour course, that spans foundational localization concepts like transcreation and culturalization, as well as advanced technical skills, including computer-assisted translation, machine translation, and generative artificial intelligence. Its pedagogical approach integrates theoretical knowledge with practical application through lectures, workshops, and game localization projects, frequently leveraging open-source resources. Students gain experience by collaborating in teams, and emulating professional workflows. Further enhancing the training, students complete a senior thesis, often focusing on game localization, where they detail their experiences in technically adapting games. This research draws upon existing literature and employs an autoethnographic approach, critically reflecting on our experiences as trainers and thesis supervisors through personal archives, didactic materials, and learning tasks. Complementarily, a bibliometric and content analysis of past senior theses provides empirical data. A notable challenge addressed is the scarcity of game localization-specific teaching materials, prompting the program’s proactive development of resources tailored to the Brazilian market. This study thus aims to contribute to a specialized localization training.