The Verge reported on October 23, 2026, that an internal memo from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said Helen Chiang was leaving Microsoft that day, roughly three months after becoming Xbox’s first chief operating officer (COO). The memo gave no reason for her departure.
What Chiang’s COO role covered
Chiang was appointed in July 2026 with end-to-end responsibility for profit and loss (P&L) across content, hardware, platform and services. She reported directly to Sharma. Before taking the COO role, Chiang had worked at Microsoft for 21 years and led Mojang and the Minecraft franchise.
How Xbox handled her responsibilities
The memo, as reported by The Verge, said Chiang’s immediate responsibilities were being divided among other Xbox leaders. Sharma said Xbox would share more about COO leadership once plans were finalized. Xbox vice president of communications Kari Perez told The Verge that the company does not discuss individual personnel matters.
