Mark Cerny, the visionary architect behind the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and Geoff Keighley, the celebrated host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest, and Opening Night Live, have joined forces to create the Nova Games Foundation. This initiative is a philanthropic fellowship designed specifically to nurture and financially empower the next generation of video‑game creators.
According to a report from Game File, the Nova Games Foundation operates independently of both The Game Awards and Sony’s PlayStation brand. Its core mission is to award substantial grants to promising young designers, thereby removing financial barriers that often impede innovative projects. Each year, the program will allocate $100,000 to twenty selected designers. Moreover, about one‑quarter of those recipients will qualify for an additional tranche of up to $500,000 for projects that demonstrate exceptional potential or artistic merit.
Beyond the monetary support, fellows will receive mentorship from seasoned veterans of the industry. This mentorship component is intended to provide guidance on design, production, and business strategy while allowing the creators to retain full ownership of their intellectual property.
Nova will also act as a bridge, facilitating introductions to publishers, platform holders, and other key stakeholders, but it will not demand equity or expect a financial return on its investment. The application window opens in December and remains open through 2026 and 2027 for graduates of thirteen partner university programs located across eight countries. Some of the participating institutions include TH Köln in Germany, RMIT University in Australia, Cnam‑Enjmin in France, Abertay University in Scotland, and the United States partnership of New York University and the University of Southern California. By targeting graduates from these diverse academic environments, Nova hopes to capture a wide array of cultural perspectives and design philosophies.
Both Cerny and Keighley are personally financing the foundation with multi‑million‑dollar contributions. They have indicated that they intend to continue injecting capital as the fellowship expands, ensuring a sustainable pipeline of resources for emerging talent. "Nova is philanthropy: we aren't taking equity or looking to recoup the grants," Keighley explained to Game File. "The return we're hoping for is creative – helping new voices make games and find their footing." To manage day‑to‑day operations, the foundation has appointed John Maconga as its executive director.
In addition, Ashley Corrigan, a former director of the Game Developers Conference, serves as head of grants, overseeing the selection process and disbursement of funds. The initiative has also attracted support from notable industry figures such as Josef Fares, the director behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction, who has pledged both a financial donation and ongoing mentorship for fellows.
Fares expressed his enthusiasm for the program, stating, "I'm proud to support Nova because it gives the next generation of creators the freedom to explore their creativity and hopefully bring their unique visions to life." His endorsement underscores a broader industry sentiment that independent, artist‑driven games can push the medium forward in ways that mainstream, profit‑driven titles sometimes cannot. Cerny articulated a clear artistic vision for Nova, emphasizing that games should be recognized as a legitimate artistic medium. He cited several critically acclaimed titles as exemplars of the type of work Nova hopes to enable: Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds.
Each of these games showcases innovative storytelling, striking visual design, and immersive world‑building, qualities that the foundation aims to foster in its fellows. Keighley's inspiration for the fellowship model stems from a blend of personal experience and admiration for existing grant programs.
He recalled his own unsuccessful bid for a Rhodes Scholarship, noting how the process highlighted the importance of supporting talent early in their careers. He also referenced the MacArthur Foundation’s "genius grants" and the work of Jenova Chen—an alumnus of USC who created the poetic experiences of Flower and Journey—as guiding influences for Nova’s structure and philosophy. In practice, the Nova Games Foundation will operate as a catalyst for creative risk‑taking.
By providing sizable, no‑strings‑attached funding, the program encourages designers to experiment with unconventional mechanics, narrative structures, and artistic styles without the pressure of immediate commercial success. This approach aligns with a growing recognition within the industry that some of the most memorable and culturally resonant games emerge from small, independent teams that are free to pursue their unique visions. The mentorship component further differentiates Nova from traditional grant programs.
Fellows will have direct access to Cerny, Keighley, and a network of veteran developers, allowing them to receive feedback on prototype iterations, production pipelines, and market positioning. Such guidance can be invaluable for young creators who may excel at design but lack experience navigating the complex business landscape of game publishing. Looking ahead, the foundation plans to track the progress of its alumni, sharing success stories and lessons learned with the broader community. By documenting the outcomes of funded projects, Nova hopes to build a repository of case studies that can inform future iterations of the fellowship and inspire other philanthropic efforts within the interactive entertainment sector.
Overall, the Nova Games Foundation represents a bold investment in the artistic future of video games. By marrying substantial financial support with mentorship and industry connections, it seeks to empower a new wave of developers to craft experiences that push the boundaries of what games can be. As the first cohort of fellows prepares to embark on their journeys, the industry watches with anticipation, hopeful that Nova’s model will yield groundbreaking titles that enrich the medium and captivate players worldwide.