Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley have joined forces to create the Nova Games Foundation, a charitable fellowship initiative designed to financially back up‑and‑coming video‑game creators. The foundation, which operates independently of both The Game Awards and Sony’s PlayStation brand, intends to award substantial grants to promising talent early in their careers, while also supplying mentorship from seasoned industry professionals. According to a report from Game File, the program will allocate $100,000 to each of twenty selected designers on an annual basis. Approximately one‑quarter of those recipients will qualify for an extra tranche of funding—potentially as much as $500,000—if their project demonstrates exceptional promise or aligns closely with the foundation’s artistic objectives.
This tiered structure is meant to give fledgling studios the financial flexibility to develop ambitious concepts that might otherwise be out of reach. Beyond the monetary component, Nova Games Foundation participants will benefit from direct guidance by veteran developers, producers, and creative leads. Mentors will share insights on design philosophy, production pipelines, and business strategy, helping fellows navigate the complex landscape of modern game development. Importantly, the fellows retain full ownership of any intellectual property they create, and they remain free to partner with any publisher or platform of their choosing.
Nova’s team can facilitate introductions and networking opportunities, but it does not demand equity stakes or any repayment of the grants. The application window opens in December and will remain open through 2026 and 2027 for graduates of thirteen partner university programs spread across eight nations. Notable institutions include TH Köln in Germany, RMIT University in Australia, Cnam‑Enjmin in France, Abertay University in Scotland, and the United States collaboration between New York University and the University of Southern California.
By targeting recent graduates from these respected curricula, the foundation hopes to capture fresh ideas while still providing a solid educational foundation. Both founders are contributing significant personal capital to seed the effort. Cerny, the chief architect behind the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 hardware, and Keighley, the well‑known host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest, and Opening Night Live, have each pledged multi‑million‑dollar contributions. They have indicated that they intend to continue investing as the program matures and demonstrates 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 foundation’s philosophy that the true measure of success is cultural enrichment rather than financial profit. To manage day‑to‑day operations, the foundation has appointed John Maconga as its executive director. Former Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan serves as head of grants, overseeing the selection process and ensuring that funds are allocated fairly and transparently.
In addition, acclaimed developer Josef Fares—known for directing It Gets Two and Split Fiction—has pledged both a monetary donation and ongoing support for the initiative. Fares expressed enthusiasm for the project, 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 belief that independent, artist‑driven projects can push the medium forward in ways that larger, commercially driven titles sometimes cannot.
Cerny emphasized that the foundation’s ultimate goal is to nurture games as an artistic medium. He cited recent titles such as Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray, and Outer Wilds as exemplars of the kind of innovative, emotionally resonant experiences Nova hopes to enable.
These games have been praised for their distinctive aesthetics, narrative depth, and willingness to experiment with gameplay mechanics, qualities that align with the fellowship’s artistic mandate. Keighley revealed that his inspiration for the fellowship model stemmed in part from his own experience applying unsuccessfully for a Rhodes Scholarship, as well as from the prestige of the MacArthur Foundation’s "genius grants" and the work of Jenova Chen—USC alumnus and creator of the critically acclaimed titles Flower and Journey. By blending the rigor of academic scholarship with the freedom of artistic grant‑making, Keighley hopes to create a pathway for designers who might otherwise struggle to secure traditional studio backing. In practice, the Nova Games Foundation could have a ripple effect across the industry.
By providing sizable, no‑strings‑attached funding, it encourages risk‑taking and experimentation, potentially leading to breakthroughs in narrative design, visual storytelling, and interactive mechanics. Moreover, the mentorship component ensures that recipients are not left to navigate the business side of development alone; they receive counsel on contract negotiation, marketing strategy, and platform selection, thereby increasing the likelihood of commercial viability without compromising creative integrity.
The foundation’s structure also reflects a growing trend toward philanthropy‑driven support for creative work, mirroring initiatives in film, music, and the visual arts. As video games continue to be recognized as a legitimate form of cultural expression, organizations like Nova can play a pivotal role in legitimizing and sustaining independent voices.
Overall, the Nova Games Foundation represents a bold experiment in marrying generous financial support with mentorship and artistic freedom. By targeting recent graduates from a curated list of academic programs, offering tiered grant amounts, and preserving full IP ownership for creators, the initiative aims to cultivate a new wave of innovative games that might otherwise never see the light of day.
If successful, it could set a precedent for future philanthropic efforts within the gaming ecosystem, demonstrating that investment in creativity—rather than purely profit—can yield both critical acclaim and lasting cultural impact.