Mark Cerny, chief architect of PlayStation consoles, stated that his career is "coming to an end." Hoping to give back to society before he departs, he has partnered with Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley to announce the establishment of a new scholarship program for game design graduates called the Nova Games Foundation. The initiative aims to award six-figure grants to 20 graduates each year.
Cerny and Keighley revealed this non-profit initiative in an interview with Game File. Designed to last for decades rather than just years, the program promises not only $100,000 in "no-strings-attached" funding but also mentorship for scholarship recipients. Beneficiaries of these awards may receive additional funding of up to $500,000 if their "projects progress particularly well." These grants will be awarded based on whether projects meet established development milestones.
"My career is nearing its end. I haven't fully retired yet, but lately I've been thinking about the best way to give back to society," said Cerny.
Keighley added, "I've always wanted to give back, but given my role in the gaming industry, I never felt it was appropriate to make commercial investments in games. I've never held shares in any game company, nor have I invested money in any games. Nova is a charitable project: we don't intend to acquire equity, nor do we expect to recoup our donations. The return we hope for is creative—helping emerging developers create games and find their footing."
Josef Fares, founder and game director at Hazelight, the developer behind It Takes Two, has expressed his intention to participate in the project through donations and mentorship. Meanwhile, New York University and the University of Southern California are two of the 13 universities worldwide participating in the initiative. The first beneficiaries will be students from the classes of 2026 and 2027 at these two universities, who can begin applying this December.
