New Adtech From Microsoft Would Interrupt Your Game at ‘Promoted Content Trigger Events’
Microsoft has filed a patent application for an ad technology that pauses video games to display advertisements at specific, non-intrusive moments. The system relies on the game engine to signal appropriate trigger events, such as loading screens or cutscene endings, before freezing gameplay to show promoted content. Players would receive in-game credits for viewing these ads, potentially allowing them to continue playing without a paid subscription.
- ▪A patent application filed on September 3 describes a system that interrupts gameplay to show ads at designated trigger events.
- ▪The game engine signals the ad system when it is appropriate to pause, such as during loading screens or after cutscenes.
- ▪Viewing the advertisement establishes a credit that allows the user to resume interaction with the software.
- ▪Xbox has previously tested an ad-supported streaming model that allows users to play games for free after watching ads.
- ▪The proposed technology could enable players on outdated hardware to access newer games for free by trading ad views for playtime.
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| Original publisher | Gizmodo |
| Canonical URL | https://gizmodo.com/new-adtech-from-microsoft-would-interrupt-your-game-at-promoted-content-trigger-events-2000815772 |
| Publication time | Wed, 23 Sep 2026 02:19:45 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-23T02:24:30.471Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-23T02:24:30.471Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
A patent application dated September 3, and seemingly first spotted by the gaming blog Respawn First paints a picture of future gaming that feels a little like the old “insert coin” arcade model. But instead of inserting a coin to continue, Microsoft would insert an advertisement. Into the player’s brain. But—to be absolutely clear—the proposed invention theoretically allows this ad-view-as-transaction event to occur at some of the least irksome possible moments. Rather than, say, in the middle of a boss fight, Microsoft’s system would interact with the game engine so that it could serve “promoted content” roughly at set intervals, but only when a “promoted content trigger event” has signaled to the system that it’s a good time for an interruption.
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