Xbox's first COO, Helen Chiang, reportedly terminated over "policy violations"

Xbox leadership shake-up has taken another unexpected turn, with former Minecraft boss Helen Chiang reportedly fired after just three months as Xbox’s first-ever COO. The latest report points to alleged policy violations, but Microsoft has not confirmed the circumstances behind her sudden departure.

Helen Chiang reportedly fired over alleged policy violations

According to a report by Eurogamer, Chiang was reportedly terminated over policy violations (via Windows Central). However, the specific violations remain undisclosed, and the claim has not been independently confirmed by Microsoft.

In an internal memo seen by The Verge, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reportedly mentioned, “Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today. I’m grateful for her years of service and wish her well. We’ll share more on COO leadership as plans are finalized.” Microsoft also declined to discuss the matter. In a statement given to The Verge, Kari Perez, Xbox’s VP of Communications, said, “We don’t discuss individual personnel matters. We’re grateful for Helen’s years of service and wish her well.”

The claim that Chiang was fired has also been corroborated by Tom Warren from The Verge. In his latest post on X, Warren noted, “I’ve seen the reports of Chiang being fired. Sources tell me she was indeed dismissed, and the internal explanation is a “policy violation.” Chiang is departing just days ahead of more Microsoft layoffs.”

Chiang’s sudden departure has been making headlines over the weekend because she was one of Xbox’s most experienced leaders. She spent 21 years at Microsoft, joining the company in 2005 before moving into Xbox leadership.

Former Minecraft chief had just become Xbox COO

Chiang became Xbox’s first chief operating officer in July as part of a massive Xbox restructuring. The role carried responsibility across content, hardware, platform, and services. Before that promotion, she led Mojang and the Minecraft franchise. She joined the Minecraft team in 2014 and later became its studio head, helping oversee the franchise’s expansion across games and other businesses.

Her departure leaves Xbox distributing her responsibilities among other leaders while the company finalizes its next leadership plan. Sharma has said more information about the COO role will follow.

In case you’re unaware, Microsoft appointed Maria Angelidou-Smith as CEO of Mojang and Minecraft earlier this month. She previously held leadership roles at Meta and served as Reddit’s chief product officer.

For now, the reported policy violations remain unexplained. Microsoft has not publicly detailed the circumstances behind Chiang’s exit.