Keighley and Cerny Co-Found Nova Games Foundation to Fund Young Creators
Geoff Keighley, the host and producer of The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest, and Mark Cerny, the lead architect of the PS4 and PS5, have co-founded Nova Games Foundation, a nonprofit that funds young game creators. The foundation runs a fellowship program for university graduates who want to move directly into original game development after finishing school. It partners with 13 universities worldwide and targets games with artistic, literary, or social value. Each year Nova selects 20 fellows and gives each $100,000, with up to $500,000 in additional support for especially promising projects. Fellows receive mentoring and promotion from industry leaders. Developers keep ownership of their work, choose their own publisher and platform, and Nova takes no equity and requires no repayment. The foundation is independent of Keighley's events and of PlayStation. Per Game File, both men donated several million dollars at the founding and plan to keep funding it. Keighley said he has avoided commercial investment in games because of his industry position and seeks no financial return. Cerny, aware of his late career, said he wants to give back to the next generation. Applications open in December 2026, with details due mid-September.