Microsoft has filed a patent for a system that could show advertisements during games at natural stopping points and reward players with credits that allow them to keep playing.

The patent application, US 2026/0260258 A1, describes a system that can detect events in an interactive application and temporarily suspend gameplay to show promoted audiovisual content. The application was published on September 3, 2026.

Under the proposed system, players could receive a period of gameplay access through a credit. Once that credit is used up, the system could wait for a suitable point in the game before displaying an advertisement.

Those points could include the end of a round, a loading screen, a save screen or other moments when interrupting gameplay would have less impact. The patent also describes using signals from the game itself to identify suitable times for an ad.

After watching the promoted content, the player could receive another credit. The credit could provide a fixed amount of playtime, such as 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour, or could be linked to game progress.

For example, a credit could provide access for several multiplayer rounds, completion of a level or another specific gameplay objective. Players could also be offered the option to watch additional ads to earn more credits.

The patent says the system could run on a personal computer or video game console, while also describing games running remotely and being streamed to a client device.

The filing does not mean Microsoft is currently introducing ads into Xbox or Windows games. It is a patent application describing a possible system, and there is no announced rollout tied to the filing.

Image placement

Use the image you shared directly after the first 2–3 paragraphs. It is Figure 3 from the patent and shows the proposed process: detecting an ad trigger, suspending gameplay, showing the advertisement, resuming the game and establishing a new credit.