Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley have teamed up to create the Nova Games Foundation, a charitable fellowship designed to provide financial backing and mentorship to the next generation of video‑game designers. The initiative, which operates independently of both The Game Awards and Sony’s PlayStation brand, seeks to empower young creators by offering sizable grants and industry guidance without demanding equity or repayment.
According to a report from Game File, the foundation will allocate $100,000 to each of twenty selected designers every year. Approximately one‑quarter of those recipients will be eligible for an additional award of up to $500,000 for projects that demonstrate extraordinary promise or innovative potential. The funding model is deliberately structured to give awardees full ownership of their intellectual property, allowing them to negotiate publishing deals or platform partnerships on their own terms.
Nova’s role will be to facilitate introductions to publishers, platforms, and other industry contacts, but it will not impose any control over the creative direction or commercial exploitation of the games. Beyond the monetary component, the fellowship pairs each grantee with seasoned veterans from the gaming world.
This mentorship is intended to accelerate the learning curve for emerging developers, offering insights into design, production, marketing, and the business aspects of game creation. By coupling cash support with hands‑on guidance, Nova hopes to reduce the barriers that often prevent talented individuals from turning their concepts into polished, market‑ready experiences. 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 thirteen partner university programs located across eight countries. Some of the participating institutions include TH Köln in Germany, RMIT University in Australia, Cnam‑Enjmin in France, Abertay University in Scotland, and the joint program offered by 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 aims to capture a wide spectrum of cultural perspectives and design philosophies. Both Cerny and Keighley are contributing multi‑million‑dollar personal donations to seed the foundation, and they have indicated that they intend to continue investing as the program matures. Cerny, best known as the lead architect behind the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, brings a deep technical pedigree, while Keighley, the charismatic host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest, and Opening Night Live, adds a high‑profile public‑relations dimension.
Their combined reputations lend credibility and visibility to Nova, encouraging other industry figures to lend support. "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 commitment to nurturing artistic expression rather than chasing financial returns.
The operational leadership of the foundation includes John Maconga as executive director and former Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan as head of grants. Their experience in event organization and grant administration is expected to streamline the selection process and ensure that funds are distributed efficiently. Additionally, Josef Fares, the acclaimed director behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction, has pledged both a monetary contribution and ongoing support for the initiative. "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 highlighted that the fellowship’s ultimate goal is to treat games as a legitimate artistic medium. He cited several indie titles that have pushed the boundaries of storytelling and aesthetics, such as Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds, as exemplars of the type of work Nova hopes to enable. By referencing these games, Cerny emphasizes that the foundation is not merely about commercial success but about fostering works that resonate on an emotional and intellectual level.
Keighley's inspiration for the fellowship model stems from several personal experiences. He recalled an unsuccessful attempt to secure a Rhodes Scholarship, which taught him the value of supporting talent through non‑traditional avenues.
He also mentioned the MacArthur Foundation’s "genius grants" and the achievements of Jenova Chen—a USC game‑design graduate best known for creating Flower and Journey—as guiding influences. These references illustrate how the Nova Games Foundation seeks to blend academic prestige, creative freedom, and industry mentorship into a single, cohesive program. In summary, the Nova Games Foundation represents a bold experiment in game‑development philanthropy. By providing up to $100,000 to twenty young designers each year—and offering a larger supplemental award to the most promising projects—the program aims to lower financial barriers, preserve creative ownership, and connect emerging talent with seasoned mentors.
The partnership with universities across Europe, Australia, and North America ensures a globally diverse applicant pool, while the involvement of high‑profile industry veterans signals a serious commitment to the cause. If successful, Nova could become a model for how private individuals and the broader gaming community can invest directly in the artistic future of interactive media, nurturing the kinds of innovative experiences that have already begun to redefine what games can be.