Addressing the Departure
On November 2, former Xbox COO Helen Chiang took to LinkedIn to address rumors regarding her exit from Microsoft.
Chiang, who was promoted as Xbox’s first-ever chief operating officer in July, had been with the company for 21 years, previously serving as the head of Minecraft. Her exit from the role in late October came as a shock to industry observers.
Reports had previously surfaced alleging that Chiang had been terminated for policy violations. A week later, Chiang published a detailed post on LinkedIn titled Clarity is Kindness.
Denying Rumors
In her post, Chiang stated that rumors of a policy violation were inaccurate, claiming that the public discourse surrounding her departure created an unrecognizable picture of her.
She strongly denied accusations of leaking confidential information, joining a competitor, engaging in discrimination, harassment, insider trading, or fraudulent activity, and refuted claims that she left after being passed over for a bigger role.
I stand by my record: both the results I delivered and the way I have treated people throughout my career. I won’t let speculation define my character or erase that record, she wrote.
Concerns Over Standards
She emphasized a belief in fairness and accountability, expressing serious concerns about how standards were applied in her case and stating that those concerns deserved to be taken seriously.
Chiang explained that she shared her perspective to prevent her departure from being reduced to an inaccurate story about incompetence or scandal, framing her statement around staying true to core values.
She concluded by noting that this was not how she imagined her story at the company would end, adding that it is not the whole story.
IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.
Internal Confirmation
Chiang's exit was previously confirmed by an internal memo obtained by media outlets on October 23. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma mentioned the news in a brief statement, expressing gratitude for her years of service.
Chiang's promotion had been announced alongside a massive restructuring at Xbox during the summer, where leadership praised her extensive tenure and contributions to businesses like Xbox Live and Minecraft.
