Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley have joined forces to create the Nova Games Foundation, a charitable fellowship initiative designed to provide financial backing and mentorship to the next generation of video‑game creators. Although the foundation shares its founders with high‑profile industry events, it operates independently of The Game Awards, PlayStation, and any other commercial entity.
Its core mission is to nurture talent by offering sizable grants, professional guidance, and networking opportunities that enable young designers to bring their visions to life without sacrificing creative control. The program, as reported by Game File, will allocate $100,000 to each of twenty selected designers annually. Approximately one‑quarter of those recipients will be eligible for an additional award of up to $500,000 for projects that demonstrate exceptional promise or ambition.
This tiered structure is intended to reward both promising early‑stage concepts and more mature, ambitious undertakings that may require a larger budget to reach fruition. Beyond the monetary component, Nova Games Foundation fellows will receive direct mentorship from seasoned veterans of the gaming industry.
The mentorship model pairs each grantee with experienced professionals who can offer feedback on design, technology, storytelling, and production pipelines. Importantly, the foundation guarantees that the creators retain full ownership of their intellectual property, allowing them to negotiate publishing deals or platform agreements on their own terms.
Nova can facilitate introductions to potential partners, but it does not claim equity or demand repayment of the grant money. Application windows will open in December and remain open through 2026 and 2027 for graduates of thirteen partner university programs located across eight nations. The participating institutions include TH Köln in Germany, RMIT University in Australia, Cnam‑Enjmin in France, Abertay University in Scotland, and a joint program between New York University and the University of Southern California in the United States.
By targeting students from a diverse set of academic environments, the foundation hopes to capture a wide array of cultural perspectives and design philosophies. Both founders are committing personal capital to the effort. Cerny, the chief architect behind the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 hardware platforms, and Keighley, the longtime host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest, and Opening Night Live, have each pledged multi‑million‑dollar contributions. They have indicated that these initial investments are just the beginning, and that they plan to continue funding the foundation as it expands its reach and impact.
"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 sentiment underscores the nonprofit nature of the initiative; the founders measure success by the artistic and cultural contributions of the fellows rather than by financial returns. The foundation’s leadership team includes John Maconga as executive director and former Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan as head of grants. Their experience in event organization, community building, and grant administration is expected to streamline the selection process and ensure that funding is allocated fairly and transparently.
In addition, Josef Fares, the director known for It Takes Two and Split Fiction, has pledged both a monetary donation and ongoing support for the program. Fares expressed his enthusiasm, 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 highlights the broader industry backing the foundation is receiving, suggesting that the initiative may become a catalyst for innovative, auteur‑driven titles. Cerny emphasized that the foundation views games as an artistic medium, citing exemplary works such as Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds as the type of experiences Nova hopes to enable.
These titles are celebrated for their evocative storytelling, distinctive visual styles, and experimental mechanics—qualities that align with the foundation’s vision of supporting games that push the boundaries of the medium. Keighley's inspiration for the fellowship model stems from several personal experiences. He recalled an unsuccessful attempt to secure a Rhodes Scholarship, admired the MacArthur Foundation’s "genius grants," and was influenced by the work of Jenova Chen, the USC graduate who created the critically acclaimed titles Flower and Journey.
By blending elements of academic scholarship, unrestricted creative funding, and a focus on artistic expression, the Nova Games Foundation aspires to fill a gap in the industry where promising developers often lack the resources to develop ambitious projects. In practice, the foundation will operate as a conduit between academia, industry, and independent creators. Fellows will be encouraged to experiment with new gameplay paradigms, explore under‑represented narratives, and leverage emerging technologies such as virtual reality, procedural generation, or AI‑driven design tools. The mentorship component will help them navigate technical challenges, refine their prototypes, and prepare polished pitches for potential publishers or self‑distribution.
By guaranteeing that grantees keep full rights to their work, Nova removes a common barrier that forces many indie developers to relinquish ownership in exchange for funding. This approach aligns with a growing movement within the gaming community that values creator autonomy and long‑term sustainability over short‑term financial gain. Overall, the Nova Games Foundation represents a significant investment in the creative future of video games.
With substantial grants, high‑level mentorship, and a commitment to artistic integrity, the program aims to empower a new wave of developers to craft experiences that resonate emotionally, challenge conventional design, and expand the cultural relevance of interactive media. The initiative’s success will be measured not only by the number of games released but also by the lasting impact those games have on players and on the evolution of the medium itself.