Xbox COO Helen Chiang Departs After Brief Tenure Under CEO Asha Sharma, Citing Policy Violation

Helen Chiang, Xbox's first-ever chief operating officer, has left Microsoft just months after her promotion under CEO Asha Sharma. Chiang, a 20-year Microsoft veteran who helped create Xbox Live and led the Minecraft franchise at Mojang, was tasked with overseeing Xbox's profitability amid declining hardware sales and a challenging market. Her departure was confirmed in an internal memo from Sharma, who expressed gratitude for Chiang's service but did not detail the reasons. Reports from Eurogamer and The Verge indicate Chiang was terminated for a policy violation, though specifics remain undisclosed. Microsoft declined to comment on personnel matters. Chiang's exit comes as Xbox faces record-low September console sales in the US, a poorly received Gears of War: E-Day, and upcoming price increases for Game Pass. Sharma has stated she will share an update on the COO role in the future. For now, the circumstances behind Chiang's sudden departure add another layer of uncertainty to Xbox's ongoing struggles.