Mark Cerny, the chief 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 offering substantial financial backing and industry mentorship.
According to reporting from Game File, the Nova Games Foundation operates independently of The Game Awards and of Sony’s PlayStation brand. Its core mission is to award $100,000 grants to twenty promising designers each year.
Approximately one‑quarter of those recipients will be eligible for a larger tranche of funding—up to an additional $500,000—if their project demonstrates exceptional promise or innovative potential. The grants are intended to give creators the freedom to develop their concepts without the pressure of immediate commercial return. Beyond the monetary award, each fellow receives direct mentorship from seasoned veterans of the gaming industry. This guidance covers everything from design theory and narrative structure to technical implementation and business strategy.
Importantly, the foundation guarantees that the developers retain full ownership of their intellectual property. Fellows are free to seek publishing deals, platform partnerships, or self‑publish as they see fit, while Nova offers to facilitate introductions to publishers, distributors, and other key players when appropriate. The application window opens in December and remains open through 2026 and 2027 for graduates of thirteen partner university programs located across eight nations. The participating institutions include Germany’s TH Köln, Australia’s RMIT University, France’s CNAM‑ENJMIN, Scotland’s Abertay University, and the United States’ joint program between New York University and the University of Southern California.
By targeting students from these respected schools, Nova hopes to tap into a diverse pool of talent that reflects a wide range of cultural perspectives and design philosophies. Both Cerny and Keighley are personally underwriting the foundation with multi‑million‑dollar contributions of their own, and they have indicated that they will continue to inject additional capital as the program expands.
Keighley emphasized the altruistic nature of the effort in an interview with 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 statement underscores the foundation’s 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, Ashley Corrigan, who previously directed the Game Developers Conference, has been hired to lead the grants program. Their combined experience in both event organization and grant administration is expected to streamline the selection process and ensure that funds are allocated efficiently. The initiative has already attracted support from notable industry figures.
Josef Fares, director of the acclaimed titles It Takes Two and Split Fiction, has pledged both a monetary donation and ongoing 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 remarked.
Cerny articulated a broader artistic vision for the foundation, describing games as "an artistic medium" that can convey profound experiences. He cited several indie successes—Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds—as exemplars of the type of work Nova hopes to foster.
These titles are celebrated for their distinctive aesthetics, innovative mechanics, and emotionally resonant storytelling, qualities that the foundation aims to replicate on a larger scale. Keighley's inspiration for the fellowship model stems from his own experiences with prestigious scholarships and grants. He referenced his unsuccessful bid for a Rhodes Scholarship, the MacArthur Foundation’s famed "genius grants," and the career of Jenova Chen—USC alumnus and creator of the critically acclaimed games Flower and Journey—as key influences.
By blending elements of academic scholarship with the creative freedom typical of indie game development, Keighley hopes to create a pipeline that nurtures talent from university classrooms to fully realized commercial products. In practice, the Nova Games Foundation will function as a bridge between academic training and the professional world. Graduates who receive funding will be able to allocate resources toward prototyping, hiring small teams, licensing technology, or even marketing their concepts to potential investors.
The mentorship component ensures that they receive practical advice on navigating the complex ecosystem of game publishing, intellectual‑property law, and community building. Overall, the Nova Games Foundation represents a significant injection of resources and expertise into the indie game sector. By offering sizable, no‑strings‑attached grants, coupled with mentorship from industry leaders, the program aspires to empower young designers to take creative risks, experiment with new forms of interactivity, and ultimately contribute fresh, diverse voices to the medium.
As the first cohort of fellows begins its journey, the gaming community will be watching closely to see how this philanthropic model reshapes the landscape of independent game development.