Unable to monetize UWP game with ads and get a paid app approved – individual Microsoft Store publisher (Türkiye)

Question

Unable to monetize UWP game with ads and get a paid app approved – individual Microsoft Store publisher (Türkiye)

Osman İSLAMOĞLU 5

Hello, I am an individual Microsoft Store publisher (MSA account, market: Türkiye) with games built on UWP. I am facing two blocking monetization issues and have been unable to reach Store developer support through any channel (Partner Center "Contact Support" redirects to Engage Center with "No Access"; Windows Dev Center support case creation also fails). 1) In-app advertising: The legacy Microsoft Advertising SDK / Ad Mediation service for UWP was discontinued in 2020, and I have no working replacement to display ads. Most third-party ad mediation networks/SDKs do not officially support UWP/Microsoft Store apps. Is there any currently supported way to show ads in a UWP (or MSIX/Win32) game on the Microsoft Store, and which ad networks currently work with Store apps, if any? I'd also like to pass along feedback that there is strong developer demand for new, working ad partnerships for Microsoft Store games. 2) Paid pricing: Customers strongly prefer free, ad-supported games, so a paid-upfront price (even as low as $0.99) results in almost no sales. Given that ads aren't viable on this platform, what is the recommended monetization path for Store games — e.g., publishing free with "durable"/"consumable" add-ons instead? Is there any official guidance or best practice documentation on this for game publishers? I'd appreciate guidance from Microsoft on both points, and a working contact channel for future account-specific support requests. Thank you.

Bruno Caetano de Brito 495 Reputation points

2026-10-17T23:54:49.56+00:00
Hello Osman,

Thanks for the detailed question. Here is what the current official documentation says on each point.

1) In-app advertising

You’re right that Microsoft’s own ad platform is gone. The Display ads in your app page confirms the Microsoft Ad Monetization platform for UWP apps was shut down on June 1, 2020. There is no first-party replacement.

The current Monetization for games page points to third-party ad providers instead, naming Vungle, Rise (Unity) and Pubfinity as examples that offer SDKs for showing ads in games. Before you integrate any of them, check directly with the provider that its SDK still supports your target (UWP vs. MSIX/Win32) and your markets, including Türkiye. The Microsoft doc lists them as examples but does not guarantee their current Windows support.

Whatever network you use, ads in Store apps must comply with Microsoft Store Policy 10.10 (Advertising Conduct and Content).

2) Pricing / recommended monetization path

Yes, publishing free and selling add-ons is an officially supported model. The Store supports three options, which you can combine (Monetization, engagement, and Store services):

Free + add-ons (freemium): publish the game for free and sell add-ons through the Windows.Services.Store APIs. Add-on types are described in Create an add-on submission:

Durable: one-time purchases such as “Unlock full game”, extra levels or “Remove ads”.

Consumable: repeat purchases such as coins or hints, either developer-managed or Store-managed.

Subscription: recurring payments.

Free trial: keep a price but let players try the game first, for example with only the first levels unlocked or a time limit. See Implement a trial version of your app.

Paid upfront: this model supports per-market pricing and scheduled sales.

Since your players prefer free games, the common approach is to publish the game for free and add a durable “Unlock full game” add-on, optionally with consumables. That keeps the download free and gives you revenue without depending on ads. The step-by-step guide for games is Monetization for games → In-game purchases. It also explains how to test add-ons by publishing the game as hidden first.

3) Support channel

The official Help and guidance for Windows developers page has separate Engage Center links for Entra ID users and MSA users. Since you have an individual MSA account, use the link labeled “MSA users click here”. Opening the Entra ID link with a personal account is a likely cause of the “No Access” error.

Other official routes:

Store / Partner Center support ticket: https://aka.ms/windowsdevelopersupport

Certification issues: reportapp@microsoft.com

******@service.microsoft.com: this inbox is only for the new individual-developer onboarding flow, not for monetization questions.

Your feedback about demand for new ad partnerships is valid. Include it in the support case, because Q&A volunteers can’t forward it to the product team.

Hope this helps. If it does, please consider accepting the answer.Hello Osman,

Thanks for the detailed question. Here is what the current official documentation says on each point.

1) In-app advertising

You’re right that Microsoft’s own ad platform is gone. The Display ads in your app page confirms the Microsoft Ad Monetization platform for UWP apps was shut down on June 1, 2020. There is no first-party replacement.

The current Monetization for games page points to third-party ad providers instead, naming Vungle, Rise (Unity) and Pubfinity as examples that offer SDKs for showing ads in games. Before you integrate any of them, check directly with the provider that its SDK still supports your target (UWP vs. MSIX/Win32) and your markets, including Türkiye. The Microsoft doc lists them as examples but does not guarantee their current Windows support.

Whatever network you use, ads in Store apps must comply with Microsoft Store Policy 10.10 (Advertising Conduct and Content).

2) Pricing / recommended monetization path

Yes, publishing free and selling add-ons is an officially supported model. The Store supports three options, which you can combine (Monetization, engagement, and Store services):

Free + add-ons (freemium): publish the game for free and sell add-ons through the Windows.Services.Store APIs. Add-on types are described in Create an add-on submission:

Durable: one-time purchases such as “Unlock full game”, extra levels or “Remove ads”.

Consumable: repeat purchases such as coins or hints, either developer-managed or Store-managed.

Subscription: recurring payments.

Free trial: keep a price but let players try the game first, for example with only the first levels unlocked or a time limit. See Implement a trial version of your app.

Paid upfront: this model supports per-market pricing and scheduled sales.

Since your players prefer free games, the common approach is to publish the game for free and add a durable “Unlock full game” add-on, optionally with consumables. That keeps the download free and gives you revenue without depending on ads. The step-by-step guide for games is Monetization for games → In-game purchases. It also explains how to test add-ons by publishing the game as hidden first.

3) Support channel

The official Help and guidance for Windows developers page has separate Engage Center links for Entra ID users and MSA users. Since you have an individual MSA account, use the link labeled “MSA users click here”. Opening the Entra ID link with a personal account is a likely cause of the “No Access” error.

Other official routes:

Store / Partner Center support ticket: https://aka.ms/windowsdevelopersupport

Certification issues: reportapp@microsoft.com

******@service.microsoft.com: this inbox is only for the new individual-developer onboarding flow, not for monetization questions.

Your feedback about demand for new ad partnerships is valid. Include it in the support case, because Q&A volunteers can’t forward it to the product team.

Hope this helps. If it does, please consider accepting the answer.
Osman İSLAMOĞLU 5 Reputation points

2026-10-18T07:56:03.01+00:00

Hi Bruno, Thank you for the detailed and sourced response, it's genuinely helpful. However, I need to follow up because the two concrete paths you suggested did not work in practice: 1) Support channel: The "MSA users click here" link you provided (engagecenter.microsoft.com/f8cdef31-...) is the exact same link I had already tried before asking this question. It still returns "No Access" (the Engage Center appears restricted to MPN/Cloud Partner accounts, not individual Store developers). This is not a new path for me — is there any other way to actually reach a human at Microsoft for this? 2) Ad networks: I checked both examples from the official docs: - Vungle: their self-serve signup form (app.vungle.com/signup-new) only offers "Apple Store (iOS)" and "Google Play (Android)" as Application Platform options. There is no Windows/UWP option anywhere in the signup flow, even though their SDK documentation still describes Windows integration. - Pubfinity: there is no self-serve signup at all, only a "Contact Us" form, and they state they only accept a small curated portfolio of apps after review. Given this, is there currently ANY realistic, self-serve way for an individual Microsoft Store game publisher to add in-app advertising in 2026? Or is the honest answer that this is no longer practically possible, and the only viable monetization path is the free + add-on (IAP) model? I'd also like to formally register this as product feedback: Microsoft Store game publishers currently have no working path to in-app advertising since the first-party platform was discontinued in 2020, and the third-party providers listed in Microsoft's own documentation (Vungle, Rise, Pubfinity) are no longer realistically accessible to new publishers. Could this be escalated to the relevant product team? Thank you again for your time.

1 answer

Your answer

Osman İSLAMOĞLU 5 Reputation points

2026-10-18T07:56:03.01+00:00

Hi Bruno, Thank you for the detailed and sourced response, it's genuinely helpful. However, I need to follow up because the two concrete paths you suggested did not work in practice: 1) Support channel: The "MSA users click here" link you provided (engagecenter.microsoft.com/f8cdef31-...) is the exact same link I had already tried before asking this question. It still returns "No Access" (the Engage Center appears restricted to MPN/Cloud Partner accounts, not individual Store developers). This is not a new path for me — is there any other way to actually reach a human at Microsoft for this? 2) Ad networks: I checked both examples from the official docs: - Vungle: their self-serve signup form (app.vungle.com/signup-new) only offers "Apple Store (iOS)" and "Google Play (Android)" as Application Platform options. There is no Windows/UWP option anywhere in the signup flow, even though their SDK documentation still describes Windows integration. - Pubfinity: there is no self-serve signup at all, only a "Contact Us" form, and they state they only accept a small curated portfolio of apps after review. Given this, is there currently ANY realistic, self-serve way for an individual Microsoft Store game publisher to add in-app advertising in 2026? Or is the honest answer that this is no longer practically possible, and the only viable monetization path is the free + add-on (IAP) model? I'd also like to formally register this as product feedback: Microsoft Store game publishers currently have no working path to in-app advertising since the first-party platform was discontinued in 2020, and the third-party providers listed in Microsoft's own documentation (Vungle, Rise, Pubfinity) are no longer realistically accessible to new publishers. Could this be escalated to the relevant product team? Thank you again for your time.

Answer 1

Hi @Osman İSLAMOĞLU ,

Thanks for the detailed follow-up. I'm here to help you find a workable path.

Advertising on Windows is still possible through third-party SDKs, but onboarding depends on each provider accepting your account. Your follow-up identifies the practical gap: the documented SDKs have not provided a usable signup route for you, and the MSA support link still fails.

Vungle's UWP SDK v6.x guide instructs publishers to create a Windows app in their Liftoff account. Since the signup flow you encountered offered only iOS and Android, ask Liftoff support whether it can onboard a new individual Windows publisher in Türkiye and enable live placements. That would be assisted onboarding, rather than the self-service route you are seeking.

If you consider moving to Win32, WinUI 3, WinForms or WPF, Vungle's separate desktop SDK v7.x serves interstitial and rewarded ads only. Banner, MREC and native placements will not fill, and deployment must ensure the WebView2 Runtime is installed. Confirm onboarding before investing in a migration.

Microsoft's Monetization for games lists Vungle, Rise (Unity) and Pubfinity as third-party examples. Pubfinity confirms selective admission; I found no verified current Windows onboarding route for Rise.

Disclaimer: Some links are to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

Being listed in Microsoft's documentation does not establish suitability or availability for your account. Please assess each provider's terms, privacy practices and payout arrangements, and confirm eligibility and live ad availability before integrating.

Review any ad SDK against Store Policies 10.5 and 10.10: respect the user's advertising ID settings, disclose personal-data sharing with ad providers and interest-based advertising opt-out options, and obtain consent where required. An SDK integration does not by itself establish policy compliance.

For monetization without an advertising agreement, I recommend a free game with a durable full-game unlock or level pack, adding consumables if they suit the gameplay. Create the add-ons in Partner Center and implement purchases and entitlement checks through Windows.Services.Store. Alternatively, offer a free trial of a paid game. Scheduled sale pricing and promotional codes can support promotions. For this Store game's digital purchases, policy 10.8.1 requires Store IAP; the payment flexibility for non-game PC apps does not apply.

Since the MSA support link still returns "No Access" for you, try Engage Center website support if the question-mark icon is available: open Help, then How can we help?, and report the access failure. Include the failing URL, error text, time and a redacted screenshot. This route handles Engage Center access itself. If its help form is also blocked, please share that error here.

To register the product request, submit a Feedback Hub suggestion for accessible Windows advertising onboarding, linking this thread and describing the provider signup barriers. Keep the support-access issue in a separate problem report.

Before selling a paid app or add-on, check that your payout and tax profiles are validated and assigned to the correct Store program and seller ID under Account settings → Payout and tax profile assignment. Does "paid app approved" refer to the banner "You need to update your tax and payout information before you can charge money", or to a certification rejection? Please share the exact error or policy number, without financial details. If it is a certification failure, the certification report in Partner Center shows which test failed or which policy was not met; see the app certification process and Resolve submission errors, then create a new submission after fixing the issue.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask or leave a comment, and if you found my explanation above was truly helpful or informative to you, I would greatly appreciate it if you could follow this guidance so others with the same issue could benefit as well.

Thank you.

Gatlin Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,470 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-22T08:03:05.3733333+00:00

Hi @Osman İSLAMOĞLU ,

I looked further and found one more ad service you may want to evaluate: MG Ads by Miracle Games, which focuses on UWP apps in the Microsoft Store.

Please note that MG requires a signed cooperation agreement, settles revenue monthly against an invoice, and reviews each app before ads go live. I suggest contacting MG first, using the contact information in its FAQ, to confirm whether they accept an individual publisher in Türkiye and can pay to a Turkish bank account. If you are eligible, the onboarding guide and UWP SDK guide cover the setup.

Disclaimer: Some links are to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

MG Ads is an independent third party. It is not part of Microsoft's documentation and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft. I have not tested its signup or ad delivery. Please review its terms and privacy practices, and make sure your integration complies with Store Policies 10.5 and 10.10.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask or leave a comment.

Thank you.
Osman İSLAMOĞLU 5 Reputation points

2026-10-22T09:07:13.7266667+00:00

Hi Gatlin, Thank you so much, this is genuinely helpful — MG Ads looks like a real, active UWP-focused option, which is more than any other path we found so far. I've just emailed MG Ads (******@mguwp.com) to confirm they accept individual developers from Turkey and can pay to a Turkish bank account, as you suggested. I'm waiting for their reply and will update this thread once I hear back. Really appreciate you taking the extra time to dig this up.
Osman İSLAMOĞLU 5 Reputation points

2026-10-22T09:07:28.7866667+00:00

Hi Gatlin, Thank you so much, this is genuinely helpful — MG Ads looks like a real, active UWP-focused option, which is more than any other path we found so far. I've just emailed MG Ads (******@mguwp.com) to confirm they accept individual developers from Turkey and can pay to a Turkish bank account, as you suggested. I'm waiting for their reply and will update this thread once I hear back. Really appreciate you taking the extra time to dig this up.
Gatlin Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,470 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-22T09:26:18.99+00:00

Hi @Osman İSLAMOĞLU ,

Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad the information was useful to you. If you need anything else, just let me know and I'll be happy to help.
Gatlin Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,470 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-27T03:00:16.36+00:00

Hi @Osman İSLAMOĞLU ,

Just following up to check if you have any further updates or anything else I can help, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you.
Gatlin Le (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,470 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-29T02:44:32.6233333+00:00

Hi @Osman İSLAMOĞLU ,

I wanted to check whether you've heard back from MG Ads about accepting individual developers from Türkiye and supporting payments to a Turkish bank account. I appreciate the time and effort you've put into exploring these options.

Their confirmation will help you decide whether this is a practical option before committing to an agreement or integration work. If you have any remaining questions about the Microsoft Store guidance I shared, please let me know. I'm happy to help clarify what I can within the scope of this forum.

Thank you again for your patience.