Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley have announced the creation of the Nova Games Foundation, a charitable fellowship designed to provide financial support and mentorship to up-and‑coming video‑game creators. The initiative, which operates independently of both The Game Awards and Sony’s PlayStation brand, aims to nurture fresh talent by awarding sizable grants and connecting recipients with seasoned industry professionals. According to a report from Game File, the foundation will distribute $100,000 grants to twenty designers annually. About a quarter of those awardees will qualify for an extra tranche of funding—potentially as much as $500,000—if their projects demonstrate exceptional promise or require additional resources to reach completion.
This tiered structure is intended to give promising concepts a solid financial footing while still allowing the majority of recipients to pursue their visions with a respectable seed sum. Beyond the monetary component, the fellowship emphasizes mentorship. Each grantee will be paired with veteran developers, producers, or other experts who can offer guidance on design, production, marketing, and business strategy. Importantly, the foundation guarantees that creators retain full ownership of their intellectual property, meaning they are free to negotiate publishing deals, platform agreements, or self‑distribution arrangements as they see fit.
Nova will act as a facilitator, making introductions to potential partners but never taking an equity stake or demanding a share of future revenues. Applications 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 spread across eight countries. The partner institutions include TH Köln in Germany, RMIT University in Australia, Cnam‑Enjmin in France, Abertay University in Scotland, as well as the joint program offered by New York University and the University of Southern California in the United States.
By targeting these accredited curricula, Nova hopes to tap into a pipeline of students who have already received formal training in game design, programming, art, and narrative. Cerny, best known as the lead architect behind the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, and Keighley, the longtime host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest, and Opening Night Live, are personally underwriting the foundation with multi‑million‑dollar contributions. Both have indicated that they intend to continue injecting capital as the organization expands, ensuring a sustainable pool of resources for future cohorts. "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 philosophy underscores the foundation’s belief that the most valuable outcome of the program is cultural enrichment rather than financial profit. The foundation’s leadership team includes John Maconga as executive director and former Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan as head of grants. Their combined experience in event production, community building, and grant administration is expected to streamline the selection process and ensure that funds are allocated fairly and transparently. In addition, Josef Fares—director of the acclaimed titles It Takes Two and Split Fiction—has pledged both a monetary donation and ongoing support for the fellowship.
"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 highlighted that the program is meant to treat games as an artistic medium, citing examples such as Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds as the sort of innovative, emotionally resonant experiences Nova hopes to enable. These titles are often lauded for their distinctive aesthetics, thoughtful storytelling, and experimental mechanics—qualities that align with the foundation’s mission to champion originality over commercial formula. Keighley also shared personal inspiration for the fellowship concept.
He recalled an unsuccessful attempt to secure a Rhodes Scholarship, noting that the experience taught him the value of supporting talent that might otherwise be overlooked. He also pointed to the MacArthur Foundation’s “genius grants” and to Jenova Chen—USC alumnus and creator of Flower and Journey—as models for how generous, no‑strings‑attached funding can catalyze groundbreaking work.
By providing substantial financial backing, mentorship, and industry connections without demanding equity, the Nova Games Foundation seeks to fill a gap that many indie developers face: the difficulty of turning a polished prototype into a market‑ready product. The program’s design acknowledges that while a $100,000 grant can cover development costs, additional resources—up to $500,000 for the most promising projects—may be necessary for hiring specialized talent, licensing technology, or conducting extensive play‑testing.
The broader gaming community has responded positively to the announcement. Observers note that the involvement of high‑profile figures like Cerny and Keighley lends credibility and visibility, potentially attracting further private donors and corporate partners. Moreover, the emphasis on preserving creators’ ownership rights aligns with a growing movement toward more equitable treatment of indie developers. In summary, the Nova Games Foundation represents a concerted effort to empower the next wave of game designers.
By coupling generous, tiered grants with mentorship from seasoned veterans, and by safeguarding intellectual‑property rights, the fellowship aims to cultivate a diverse array of innovative games that push the medium forward. Applications open this December, and the industry will be watching closely to see which fresh voices emerge from this ambitious philanthropic venture.