Cerny and Keighley Launch Nova Games Foundation to Fund Emerging Designers

PlayStation 5 lead architect Mark Cerny and The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley have launched the Nova Games Foundation, a university-affiliated fellowship that will give 20 young game designers at least 100,000 US dollars each every year. Applications are due in December 2026, and the first cohort will be announced in March 2027.

How much money, and on what terms

Each fellow receives a base grant of 100,000 dollars. Around a quarter of fellows whose projects show strong progress can receive up to 500,000 dollars more. Payments are released against development milestones rather than as a single lump sum.

The terms are designed to be designer-friendly. The funding comes with no equity taken, and fellows keep full ownership of their projects. The foundation can introduce fellows to publishers but takes no commission on any deal. Cerny and Keighley have each made multi-million-dollar donations to fund the programme.

Who can apply

The fellowship is aimed at recent university and college graduates and aspiring game developers. Applications will be handled through participating universities, and the full list of institutions and application instructions is still to be published. Anyone interested should watch for that list, since applying depends on being connected to one of the partner schools.

Mentorship and staff

The programme includes mentorship. According to the founders, dozens of leading game directors have expressed interest in giving their time, and Hazelight’s Josef Fares has pledged his support. John Maconga serves as executive director and Ashley Corrigan as head of grants.

Is there a MENA angle?

The participating universities have not been named yet, so it is not known whether any institutions in the Middle East or North Africa will be included. The Gulf has been investing heavily in game development education and studio incentives, and a partner university in the region would give local graduates direct access to one of the most generous early-career grants in the industry. For now, MENA developers should follow the foundation’s announcements and speak to their universities’ game design departments about joining.

Why it matters

For young designers, a 100,000-dollar grant with no equity and full IP ownership is rare. It gives a graduate time to build a real project without first finding a publisher or working a full-time job. The potential top-up of up to 500,000 dollars could carry a strong project close to release.

For the industry, the backing of Cerny and Keighley brings credibility and connections that most grant schemes lack. If the first fellows produce notable games, the model could become a template for funding new talent, and a pipeline that studios and publishers will watch closely.