Mark Cerny, the celebrated architect behind 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 back up‑and‑coming talent in the video‑game industry. While the foundation shares its founders’ high‑profile names, it operates independently of both The Game Awards brand and Sony’s PlayStation division. The core of the Nova Games Foundation’s offering is a series of cash awards that aim to give fledgling designers the financial breathing room they need to turn concepts into playable experiences.
Each year, twenty individuals or small teams will receive a grant of $100,000. In addition, roughly one‑quarter of those recipients will qualify for a supplemental award of up to $500,000 if their project demonstrates exceptional promise or aligns closely with the foundation’s artistic goals.
The funding is not a loan and does not require the recipients to surrender equity; instead, it is pure philanthropy intended to nurture creative risk‑taking. Beyond the monetary support, the program pairs each fellow with seasoned mentors drawn from the upper echelons of the industry.
These mentors will provide guidance on design, production, and business strategy, while also leveraging their networks to introduce the fellows to potential publishers, platform holders, and other collaborators. Importantly, the fellows retain full ownership of any intellectual property they develop, allowing them to choose whichever publishing route best serves their vision. Applications for the inaugural cohort will open in December and will be open to graduates from the class of 2026 and 2027 who have completed one of the thirteen partner university programs that the foundation has identified.
These programs are spread across eight countries and include institutions such as TH Köln in Germany, RMIT University in Australia, Cnam‑Enjmin in France, Abertay University in Scotland, as well as the joint New York University–University of Southern California pathway in the United States. By targeting students from these vetted curricula, Nova hopes to tap into a pool of talent that has already received formal training and is ready to embark on professional projects.
Both Cerny and Keighley have pledged multi‑million‑dollar personal contributions to seed the foundation, and they have indicated that they intend to continue investing as the organization grows. "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." This ethos underscores the foundation’s commitment to artistic expression over commercial gain. To run the day‑to‑day operations, the foundation has hired John Maconga as its executive director.
In addition, Ashley Corrigan, who previously directed the Game Developers Conference, has taken on the role of head of grants, overseeing the selection process and ensuring that funds are allocated fairly and transparently. The initiative has also attracted the support of notable industry figures such as Josef Fares, the director behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction, who has pledged both a monetary donation and his personal advocacy for the program. "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," Fares said.
Cerny articulated the artistic ambition behind the foundation, describing games as "an artistic medium" that can convey profound experiences. He cited a handful of titles that exemplify the kind of work Nova hopes to enable, including Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds. Each of these games is noted for its distinctive visual style, innovative mechanics, and emotional resonance, demonstrating that independent projects can achieve critical acclaim and commercial success without the backing of large publishers. Keighley’s inspiration for the fellowship model draws from several personal and historical sources.
He referenced his own unsuccessful bid for a Rhodes Scholarship, the prestige of the MacArthur Foundation’s "genius grants," and the career of Jenova Chen—an alumnus of USC who created the critically lauded titles Flower and Journey. By blending these influences, Keighley hopes to create a pathway that rewards ingenuity and perseverance in the same way that traditional academic and artistic fellowships have done for other fields. Looking ahead, the Nova Games Foundation aims to become a cornerstone of the global game‑development ecosystem, offering not just money but a supportive community that can help emerging creators navigate the complex terrain of production, marketing, and distribution. By providing substantial grants, mentorship from industry veterans, and the freedom to retain IP rights, the foundation aspires to cultivate a new wave of games that push the boundaries of storytelling, design, and interactivity.
If successful, Nova could serve as a model for how philanthropic investment can accelerate innovation in interactive media, ensuring that fresh, diverse voices continue to enrich the medium for players worldwide.