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 charitable fellowship designed specifically to provide financial backing and mentorship to up‑and‑coming talent in the video‑game industry. According to a report from Game File, the Nova Games Foundation will award $100,000 grants to twenty promising designers annually.
About a quarter of those recipients will be eligible for a larger tranche of support—up to an additional $500,000—if their projects demonstrate exceptional potential or innovative promise. The funding model is deliberately non‑equity based; the foundation does not seek a share of future profits or any form of repayment.
Instead, its primary goal is to nurture creative voices and give them the resources they need to bring original concepts to life. Beyond the monetary award, each fellow will receive direct mentorship from seasoned veterans of the gaming world. This mentorship component is intended to accelerate professional growth, offering guidance on everything from design theory and technical implementation to business strategy and marketing.
Importantly, the fellows retain full ownership of any intellectual property they develop during the program. They are free to approach any publisher or platform they wish, while Nova offers to facilitate introductions and connections that might otherwise be difficult for newcomers to secure. The application window opens in December and will remain open through 2026 and 2027 for graduates of thirteen partner university programs located across eight countries. These 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 recent graduates from these respected curricula, the foundation aims to capture fresh ideas at a critical juncture in the creators’ careers. Both Cerny and Keighley are personally investing multimillion‑dollar sums into the foundation, and they have indicated that they intend to continue contributing as the organization expands. Keighley emphasized the philanthropic nature of Nova, stating, "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 sentiment underscores the belief that the cultural and artistic value generated by innovative games outweighs any traditional financial return. To manage day‑to‑day operations, the foundation has appointed John Maconga as its executive director.
In addition, former Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan will serve as head of grants, overseeing the selection process and ensuring that funding is allocated fairly and transparently. The initiative has also attracted support from industry peers; Josef Fares, the director known for It Takes Two and Split Fiction, has pledged a donation and offered his endorsement. Fares expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "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 comments reflect a broader industry consensus that independent and experimental games often struggle to find financing through conventional channels, making philanthropic models like Nova increasingly important.
Cerny articulated the artistic philosophy behind the foundation, describing games as "an artistic medium" and citing titles such as Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds as exemplars of the kind of work Nova hopes to enable. These games are celebrated for their evocative storytelling, striking visual design, and innovative mechanics—qualities that align with the foundation’s vision of supporting projects that push the medium forward.
Keighley's inspiration for the fellowship concept draws from several personal experiences. He referenced his own unsuccessful attempt to secure a Rhodes Scholarship, the prestige of the MacArthur Foundation’s "genius grants," and the influence of Jenova Chen, the USC graduate whose games Flower and Journey redefined emotional interactivity in gaming. By blending these influences, Keighley hopes to create a pathway that rewards curiosity, artistic ambition, and technical excellence.
In summary, the Nova Games Foundation represents a significant investment in the future of interactive entertainment. By coupling substantial financial awards with mentorship, retaining creator ownership, and fostering global collaboration among academic institutions, the program seeks to lower the barriers that often prevent talented designers from realizing their visions. As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, initiatives like Nova may prove essential in ensuring that innovative, artistically driven experiences remain a vibrant part of the medium’s growth.