Mark Cerny and Geoff Keighley launch university-affiliated fellowship program

The initiative aims to provide substantial financial backing to young talent. Specifically, the foundation plans to offer six-figure grants to twenty selected game designers annually. The funding is structured as "no-strings-attached" support, ensuring that fellows retain full ownership of their projects with no equity demands or conditions attached.

Under the program's structure, each recipient will initially receive $100,000. For projects that demonstrate exceptional promise and are "shaping up particularly well," recipients may be eligible for additional funding, potentially reaching up to $500,000 more. These payments are not lump sums but are delivered based on the achievement of specific development milestones.

Nova Games Foundation is committed to promoting the work of its fellows. Developers are free to pursue publishers and platforms of their choice. While the program can assist in introducing fellows to potential publishers, it will not take a cut or demand equity from the projects funded.

Keighley explained his motivation behind the foundation, stating, "I've always wanted to give back, but given my role in the industry, I've never felt it appropriate to commercially invest in games." He emphasized that Nova is purely philanthropic: they are not taking equity or looking to recoup the grants. The return they hope for is creative—helping new voices make games and find their footing.

To establish the foundation, both Mark Cerny and Keighley have made "multi-million-dollar donations." They hope that others will join these efforts to expand the program's impact. The duo has already hired an executive director, John Maconga, as well as Ashley Corrigan as head of grants.

Alongside financial grants, the foundation intends to offer mentorship to the fellows selected for the program. Keighley noted that "dozens of leading game directors have already expressed interest in contributing their time." This includes Hazelight lead designer Josef Fares, who has donated to the program and pledged to help.

The mentorship aspect is notable given Keighley's previous venture, The Game Awards' Future Class program. That organization highlighted industry professionals representing the future of video games but faced criticism for uneven experiences and a lack of practical support. Following concerns from former honorees, the Future Class was put on ice indefinitely.

Keighley clarified the distinction between the two initiatives. He stated that while Future Class was about recognizing emerging voices, Nova has a different, more specific purpose focused on recent university and college graduates who want to make games. Recognition is part of it, but so is giving someone practical help to take the next step.

Applications for the Nova Games Foundation will be due in December, with the first wave of fellows expected to be announced in March 2027. A full list of participating universities and steps students and recent graduates can take to apply will be made available soon.