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Geoff Keighley, Mark Cerny team up to invest in the education of young game devs
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards, and Mark Cerny, PlayStation's lead system architect, have launched the Nova Games Foundation, a philanthropic scheme offering six-figure grants to student game designers. Hazelight Studios founder Josef Fares (It Takes Two, Split Fiction) has joined as a founding donor and mentor, lending a prominent developer's name to the venture, and Keighley has said he hopes other established industry figures will follow suit and contribute. Both men stressed the initiative is purely charitable: neither is taking equity or seeking to recoup funds, having each made multi-million-dollar personal donations to establish the foundation.
The foundation will award $100,000 grants each year to 20 student game designers, with the possibility of further payments of up to $500,000 for projects that progress well, tied to development milestones; recipients retain ownership of their games. Applications open in December for students in the graduating classes of 2026 and 2027, with 13 partner universities worldwide, including NYU and USC in the United States, Abertay University in Scotland, Cnam-Enjmin in France, TH Köln in Germany, and RMIT in Australia. Cerny, describing the move as "paying it forward" as he nears the end of his career, said the foundation reflects a shared belief in investing in human talent to shape the future of the games industry.
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In short
- Keighley and Cerny launch Nova Games Foundation for student game designers
- Grants of $100,000 yearly, up to $500,000 more for strong projects
- Hazelight's Josef Fares joins as founding donor and mentor
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Josef Fares, founder of Hazelight Studios (It Takes Two, Split Fiction), has joined the newly launched Nova Games Foundation as a founding donor and mentor, adding a prominent developer name to the philanthropic scheme fronted by Geoff Keighley and Mark Cerny.
- 2 months ago Games industry figures Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards, and Mark Cerny, PlayStation's lead system architect, have launched the Nova Games Foundation, a philanthropic fellowship offering substantial grants to student game designers.
- 2 months ago Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards, and Mark Cerny, PlayStation's lead system architect, have launched the Nova Games Foundation, a philanthropic scheme offering six-figure grants to student game designers.
- 2 months ago Games industry figures Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards, and Mark Cerny, PlayStation's lead system architect, have launched the Nova Games Foundation, a philanthropic fellowship offering substantial grants to student game designers.
- GamesRadar+ PlayStation console mastermind Mark Cerny is "nearing the end" of his career and putting millions into helping the next generation of game devs
- Destructoid Geoff Keighley, Mark Cerny team up to invest in the education of young game devs
- IGN PlayStation Architect Mark Cerny 'Nearing the End' of Career, Launching Fellowship Program With Game Awards Creator Geoff Keighley
Explained simply
Nova Games Foundation is a new philanthropic scheme set up by Geoff Keighley, the presenter behind The Game Awards, and Mark Cerny, a senior PlayStation hardware designer. It aims to fund student game developers directly, rather than through a company or investment fund, and has now been joined by Josef Fares, the director behind It Takes Two, as an additional backer and mentor.
The foundation plans to give grants of $100,000 to 20 students each year, chosen through partner universities in countries including the US, UK and France. Students whose projects show promise can later receive further payments worth up to $500,000, and they keep full ownership of the games they make.
The scheme is notable because it involves no equity or ownership stake for the donors, funded instead by personal money from Keighley and Cerny, two well-known figures in the games industry. Organisers hope other prominent industry names will follow Fares's example and add their own support to the fund.
Coverage · 3 sources
- DestructoidGeoff Keighley, Mark Cerny team up to invest in the education of young game devs
- GamesRadar+PlayStation console mastermind Mark Cerny is "nearing the end" of his career and putting millions into helping the next generation of game devs
- IGNPlayStation Architect Mark Cerny 'Nearing the End' of Career, Launching Fellowship Program With Game Awards Creator Geoff Keighley