Helen Chiang, Xbox’s first-ever COO, is no longer in that role just three months after the company was founded, CEO Asha Sharma said in an internal memo today.
The memo, verified by The edgeincluded a brief statement from Sharma regarding Chiang’s departure. “Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today. I am grateful for her years of service and wish her well,” Sharma said. “We will share more about the COO’s leadership as plans are finalized.”
Chiang had worked at Xbox for 21 years. Previously, she was in charge of the Minecraft franchise and became director of operations in July 2026.
The reason for Chiang’s promotion and the COO’s duties were laid out in a statement from Sharma amid news of Xbox’s massive restructuring this summer. According to Sharma, the role was necessary to “work toward a common goal, make the right compromises and get things done” as Xbox’s workforce grew and the company became “more fragmented.”
“For the first time, we are establishing a COO with end-to-end P&L responsibility for content, hardware, platform and services. Helen Chiang has been promoted to this role and will report directly to me,” Sharma said at the time.
“For nearly two decades at Xbox, Helen helped build some of our most important businesses, from Xbox Live to leading Mojang and the Minecraft franchise. She will bring our businesses together under one operating model, ensuring we make clear investment decisions, learn from our successes and failures, and hold ourselves accountable for results.”
As noted by The Verge, the reason for Chiang’s brief tenure in this specific role has yet to be disclosed, but it’s certainly a striking move, considering his 21 years at the company previously.
Xbox is expected to continue layoffs as part of its ongoing internal restructuring, with a total of 3,200 employees expected to lose their jobs this year. Several studios were sold following this overhaul, even if some managed to find their place, as is the case with Double Fine.
Others, however, remain in limbo; Arkane Lyon, the studio currently working on Marvel’s Blade, risks closing its doors in mid-November if no buyer is found. The studio was also hit by the shakeup at Microsoft, leaving fans and industry insiders biting their nails in hopes that the project would find a new home.
Other companies in the gaming industry are not faring any better. Just this week, EA announced the closure of BioWare, a 30-year-old RPG company known for making games like Dragon Age, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect. The upcoming Mass Effect game was also canceled, sparking a global outcry from gamers and calls for a boycott.
A full trailer for the game was also leaked online, putting even more salt in the wound thanks to how fantastic it looks. And while fans are crossing their fingers that EA will sell BioWare’s IP or hand it over to another studio, analysts say that’s unlikely. Oh, well, at least the Prime Video series is still alive.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience in the gaming and entertainment industry, she has a strong background in the fighting game community, influencer news and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
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