Xbox COO Helen Chiang leaves Microsoft after three months in role

Helen Chiang, the first person to hold the chief operating officer job at Xbox, is leaving Microsoft only three months after taking it. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced the exit in an internal memo, which The Verge saw and Eurogamer dates to 23rd October.

“Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today. I’m grateful for her years of service and wish her well,” Sharma wrote. She added: “We’ll share more on COO leadership as plans are finalized.” The memo gave no explanation for the departure.

The details

Chiang spent 21 years at Microsoft and previously ran Minecraft. She moved into the COO role in July, when Sharma created it as part of a broad Xbox restructuring. The job carried end-to-end profit-and-loss responsibility across content, hardware, platform and services, and Chiang reported directly to Sharma. Sharma said at the time that the aim was to bring Xbox’s businesses under one operating model with clearer investment decisions and accountability for results.

According to The Verge, Chiang’s immediate responsibilities are being divided among other Xbox leaders. The outlet reads the wording about COO leadership as a sign the position itself will stay.

Xbox declined to discuss the circumstances. Kari Perez, Xbox’s vice president of communications, told The Verge: “We don’t discuss individual personnel matters. We’re grateful for Helen’s years of service and wish her well.” Xbox gave Eurogamer the same statement.

Eurogamer also reports that a verified source familiar with the situation said Chiang was allegedly “terminated for policy violations.” Eurogamer could not independently verify that claim, and neither Xbox nor Sharma has said anything of the kind. The Verge says the brevity of the memo and the immediate reassignment of her duties suggest she did not resign, but that is the outlet’s reading rather than a stated fact.

Why it matters

The COO post was a centerpiece of the July reset, which Eurogamer says came with 3,200 layoffs and four studios leaving Xbox’s portfolio. Double Fine, Undead Labs and Compulsion Games are going independent. Eurogamer says Ninja Theory will probably shut down because two prospective buyers fell away. Arkane Lyon, which IGN says is working on Marvel’s Blade, reportedly has until around mid-November to find a buyer.

The Verge notes that Chiang’s exit comes amid rumors of further Xbox layoffs this month, in November and in January. IGN likewise says the restructuring is expected to continue. Losing the executive who was meant to unify Xbox’s businesses so soon after the role was created leaves a gap at the top of that effort while the cuts are still unfolding.

What we don’t know yet

Xbox has not given a reason for the departure, named a replacement or said which executives now cover Chiang’s work. The policy-violation allegation remains a single anonymous claim.