Mark Cerny, the celebrated architect behind 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 to nurture the next generation of video‑game creators by offering substantial financial backing, mentorship, and industry connections.
According to reporting from Game File, the Nova Games Foundation will distribute $100,000 grants to twenty young 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 innovative potential.
The programme is deliberately independent of both The Game Awards and Sony’s PlayStation brand, ensuring that the support is purely charitable and not tied to any commercial obligations. Beyond the monetary award, fellows will receive mentorship from seasoned veterans of the gaming industry. This mentorship component is intended to help emerging creators navigate the complex landscape of game development, from early prototyping to final polishing. Importantly, the foundation guarantees that grantees retain full ownership of any intellectual property they produce.
They are free to approach any publisher or platform they wish, while Nova offers to facilitate introductions and networking opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach for newcomers. 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 the thirteen university programmes affiliated with the foundation.
These programmes span eight countries and include institutions such as TH Köln in Germany, RMIT University in Australia, Cnam‑Enjmin in France, Abertay University in Scotland, and the United States partnership of New York University and the University of Southern California. By targeting students from a diverse set of academic environments, Nova hopes to capture a wide range of cultural perspectives and design philosophies. Both Cerny and Keighley are personally contributing multi‑million‑dollar sums to seed the foundation, and they have indicated that they intend to continue investing as the programme expands. "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 statement underscores the altruistic motive behind the venture: the founders are more interested in fostering artistic expression than in generating direct financial profit. To manage day‑to‑day operations, the foundation has appointed John Maconga as its executive director.
In addition, Ashley Corrigan, former director of the Game Developers Conference, has taken on the role of head of grants, bringing a wealth of experience in evaluating and supporting game projects. The initiative has also attracted the support of notable industry figures such as Josef Fares, the director behind It Takes Two and Split Fiction, who has pledged both a monetary donation and ongoing advocacy for the programme.
"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 has articulated a clear artistic vision for the foundation, describing games as an "artistic medium" deserving of the same kind of patronage traditionally reserved for the fine arts. He cited several indie titles that exemplify the type of work Nova hopes to enable, including Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds. Each of these games is celebrated for its distinctive aesthetic, innovative mechanics, and emotionally resonant storytelling – qualities that the foundation aims to cultivate in its fellows.
Keighley's inspiration for the fellowship model draws from his own experiences with competitive scholarships and prestigious grants. He referenced his unsuccessful attempt to secure a Rhodes Scholarship, the MacArthur Foundation’s famed "genius grants," and the career of Jenova Chen, the USC graduate who created the critically acclaimed titles Flower and Journey.
By emulating the spirit of those programs, Keighley hopes to provide a similar launchpad for game designers who may lack the resources or connections to bring their ideas to market. The Nova Games Foundation represents a significant infusion of capital and mentorship into the indie game ecosystem. By removing financial barriers and offering guidance from industry veterans, the programme could accelerate the development of groundbreaking titles that might otherwise remain unrealized.
Moreover, the commitment to preserve creators' ownership rights ensures that successful projects can retain their independence, potentially leading to more diverse and experimental experiences for players worldwide. In summary, the collaboration between Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley has birthed a charitable fellowship that blends generous funding, expert mentorship, and a steadfast respect for artistic autonomy. With $100,000 grants for twenty designers each year—and the possibility of an extra $500,000 for the most promising concepts—the Nova Games Foundation aims to empower emerging talent, broaden the creative horizons of the medium, and ultimately enrich the global gaming landscape.