Geoff Keighley and Mark Cerny Launch Nova Games Foundation to Support Young Developers

Industry figures Geoff Keighley and Mark Cerny have announced the launch of the Nova Games Foundation, an independent philanthropic initiative aimed at supporting the future of video games. Unaffiliated with The Game Awards or PlayStation, the foundation is a university-affiliated fellowship program designed to provide six-figure grants to 20 young game designers annually.

The foundation will begin accepting applications in December from students in the class of 2026 and 2027 across 13 affiliated gaming programs in eight countries. Participating institutions include New York University and the University of Southern California in the United States, Abertay University in Scotland, Cnam-Enjmin in France, TH Köln in Germany, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia. Selected recipients will receive $100,000, with roughly a quarter of the fellows eligible for up to $500,000 in additional funding for projects showing exceptional promise. Funding will be distributed based on development milestones, and developers will retain ownership of their creations without giving up equity or taking on commercial obligations to the foundation.

Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley have made multi-million-dollar personal donations to establish the foundation and plan to continue contributing. The initiative has also hired John Maconga as executive director and Ashley Corrigan as head of grants. In addition, numerous game industry leaders have expressed interest in providing mentorship, with Hazelight lead designer Josef Fares joining the effort through a donation and a pledge to assist participants.

The program aims to help graduates bridge the transition from student to professional by focusing on games characterized by artistic, literary, and societal value. Recipients will have the freedom to pursue the publishers and platforms of their choice, while the foundation offers promotional assistance and publisher introductions without taking a financial cut.