Xbox COO May Have Been Terminated After 3 Months On The Job, Potentially Due

News, PC, Xbox

Xbox COO May Have Been Terminated After 3 Months On The Job, Potentially Due To Policy Violations

Xbox’s COO, Helen Chiang, is unexpectedly leaving after just three months on the job, raising eyebrows. Rumors suggest she was fired for policy violations.

Baden Ronie October 24, 2026 1–2 minutes

The other day Xbox announced that Helen Chiang, Xbox’s first-ever chief operating officer (COO), was leaving the company. This was surprising as she had gained the job just three months ago as part of Asha Sharma’s big regime changes, and has been with Xbox for 21 years.

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“Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today. I’m grateful for her years of service and wish her well,” Sharma wrote in an oddly brief announcement.

This naturally sparked debate because this isn’t the first Xbox executive to leave the brand recently. Four months ago, Craig Duncan, head of Xbox Game Studios, and Louise O’Connor, chief of staff, both left the company. Chiang leaving after just three months added to the speculation of problems within Xbox.

It turns out, though, things are both simpler and weirder. According to Eurogamer, a “source familiar with the situation” told them that Chiang was actually “terminated for policy violations”. Eurogamer does note that they have not been able to verify this claim independently.

Assuming the claim is true, though, it would explain the sudden departure after being given the promotion so recently.