{"id":2134618,"date":"2026-09-08T21:44:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T18:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2134618"},"modified":"2026-09-08T21:44:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T18:44:13","slug":"playstation-architect-mark-cerny-nearing-the-end-of-career-launching-fellowship-program-with-game-awards-creator-geoff-keighley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2134618","title":{"rendered":"PlayStation Architect Mark Cerny ‘Nearing the End’ of Career, Launching Fellowship Program With Game Awards Creator Geoff Keighley"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

PlayStation architect Mark Cerny says he’s “nearing the end” of his career and wants to pay it forward before he steps away, so he’s partnered with The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley to announce a new fellowship program for game design graduates called the The Nova Games Foundation, with a goal of awarding 20 graduates per year a six-figure grant.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Cerny and Keighley spoke to Game File<\/a> to reveal the nonprofit program, which aims to run for decades, not just years, and promises mentorship to fellowship recipients in addition to the “no-strings” $100,000 grants. The beneficiaries of these awards can earn up to an additional half-million dollars “for projects that are shaping up particularly well.” Those determinations will be made based on achieving development milestones.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m nearing the end of my career,\u201d Cerny told Game File’s Stephen Totilo. \u201cI\u2019m not done yet, but paying it forward\u2014in the best way possible\u2014is very much on my mind these days.\u201d Keighley added, \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to give back, but given my role in the industry, I\u2019ve never felt it appropriate to commercially invest in games. I\u2019ve never owned stock in a game company or taken a financial stake in a game. Nova is philanthropy: we aren\u2019t taking equity or looking to recoup the grants. The return we\u2019re hoping for is creative\u2014helping new voices make games and find their footing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hazelight founder and game director on hit two-player co-op games A Way Out (which we loved<\/a>), It Takes Two (we adored<\/a> that one too), and Split Fiction (yup, you guessed it: we think it rocks<\/a>) Josef Fares has already indicated his participation via donation and mentorship. Meanwhile, NYU and USC are two of 13 universities from around the world that will be part of the program. The first recipients will be from the classes of 2026 and 2027 from these universities, and they can begin applying in December of this year.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\"Ryan<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Ryan McCaffrey<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Ryan McCaffrey is the Executive Editor of Previews at IGN. He has worked in games media since 2002, spending the first decade of his career at Official Xbox Magazine before joining IGN in 2012. He is the host of Podcast Unlocked as well as a co-host of Next-Gen Console Watch.<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n