Mark Cerny, the celebrated lead architect behind both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and Geoff Keighley, the well‑known 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 the next generation of video‑game designers by providing them with substantial financial backing, mentorship, and industry connections. According to reporting from Game File, the Nova Games Foundation will operate independently of The Game Awards and any PlayStation corporate structures. Each year, the program intends to award twenty emerging designers with grants of $100,000 each.
Approximately one‑quarter of those recipients will be eligible for an additional tranche of funding that can reach as high as $500,000 for projects that demonstrate extraordinary promise or innovative potential. The aim is to give creators the freedom to develop ambitious concepts without the pressure of immediate commercial returns. Beyond the monetary award, fellows will receive direct mentorship from seasoned professionals across the gaming ecosystem.
This mentorship component is intended to accelerate learning, refine creative visions, and help participants navigate the complex landscape of publishing, platform selection, and marketing. Importantly, the foundation guarantees that grant recipients retain full ownership of any intellectual property they produce.
While Nova will not claim equity, it will leverage its network to facilitate introductions to publishers, platform holders, and other strategic partners, thereby increasing the likelihood that a project finds a suitable home. The application window opens in December and will remain open through 2026 and 2027 for graduates of thirteen partner university programs located across eight nations.
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 collaboration between New York University and the University of Southern California. By targeting students from these distinguished programs, the foundation hopes to capture a diverse pool of talent representing a wide range of cultural perspectives and design philosophies. Both Cerny and Keighley are personally contributing multi‑million‑dollar sums to seed the foundation, and they have indicated that they intend to continue investing as the organization scales.
Keighley emphasized the purely altruistic nature of the venture, stating to Game File, "Nova is philanthropy: we aren't taking equity or looking to recoup the grants. The return we're hoping for is creative – helping new voices make games and find their footing." This philosophy underscores a commitment to artistic freedom rather than financial gain. To manage day‑to‑day operations, the foundation has appointed John Maconga as its executive director. In addition, former Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan has taken the role of head of grants, overseeing the selection process and ensuring that funding is allocated fairly and transparently.
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 monetary donation and personal advocacy for the program. Fares expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "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." Cerny articulated a broader artistic vision for the foundation, describing games as "an artistic medium" and citing exemplary titles such as Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds as the type of work Nova hopes to empower.
These games are celebrated for their evocative storytelling, innovative mechanics, and emotional resonance—qualities that the foundation seeks to cultivate in its fellows. Keighley's inspiration for the fellowship model stems from several personal experiences.
He referenced his own unsuccessful attempt to secure a Rhodes Scholarship, the prestige of the MacArthur Foundation's "genius grants," and the influence of Jenova Chen—a USC game design alumnus renowned for creating the critically acclaimed experiences Flower and Journey. By drawing on these examples, Keighley aims to replicate a framework that rewards originality and encourages risk‑taking in game development.
In summary, the Nova Games Foundation represents a significant infusion of capital, expertise, and goodwill into the indie and academic game‑development sectors. By offering sizable grants, mentorship from industry veterans, and the assurance of IP ownership, the program strives to lower the barriers that often prevent talented designers from realizing their visions. As the inaugural cohort begins to take shape, the gaming community will be watching closely to see how this philanthropic model influences the creation of future landmark titles and whether it can inspire similar initiatives worldwide.