Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley Launch Nova Games Foundation

Industry figures Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley have announced the launch of the Nova Games Foundation, a university-affiliated fellowship program designed to support recent game design graduates. Founded by Cerny, the lead architect of the PlayStation 5, and Keighley, host of The Game Awards, the initiative aims to provide stability and create a lasting legacy by awarding six-figure grants to 20 young game designers annually.

To guide the foundation's launch, Cerny and Keighley have appointed John Maconga as executive director and Ashley Corrigan, former director of the Game Developers Conference, as head of grants. In an interview, Cerny noted that he is nearing the end of his career and wants to pay it forward, while Keighley confirmed that both founders have invested millions of dollars of their own money into the project.

According to the founders, the project is strictly philanthropic. The organizers are not taking equity in companies or looking to recoup the grants, stating that the intended return is strictly creative in order to help new voices find their footing. Cerny and Keighley intend to keep contributing to the foundation and hope to garner ongoing financial support from the broader gaming community in the future.