The Verge

Xbox COO says she was fired unfairly

Helen Chiang, who left Microsoft's Xbox division after just three months as chief operating officer, says she has serious concerns about how she was treated.

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Nov 2, 2026

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Xbox COO says she was fired unfairly

Helen Chiang, who left Microsoft's Xbox division after just three months as chief operating officer, says she has serious concerns about how she was treated.

In brief

Helen Chiang, who left Microsoft's Xbox division after just three months as chief operating officer, says she has serious concerns about how she was treated. Helen Chiang, Xbox's former COO, says she was fired unfairly after 21 years at Microsoft, denying reports of policy violations and claiming standards were not…

Sudden exit after three months

Vector collage of the Xbox logo.

Helen Chiang, Xbox's chief operating officer, left Microsoft less than two weeks ago after being promoted into the role in July. She had worked at Microsoft for 21 years.

She denies the stated reason

Eurogamer reported Chiang was terminated for policy violations, but Chiang says this is not accurate. She also denies leaking confidential information or joining a competitor.

She disputes how she was treated

In a LinkedIn post, Chiang says she has serious concerns about fairness and accountability in her case. She states those standards were not applied consistently to her.

“I have serious concerns about how they were applied in my case, and I believe those concerns deserve to be taken seriously.”

She stands by her record

She stands by her record

Chiang denies engaging in discrimination, bullying, harassment, insider trading, embezzlement or other fraudulent activity. Multiple Xbox employees have described her as highly respected with high integrity.

“I stand by my record: both the results I delivered and the way I have treated people throughout my career.”

The story is not over

Chiang says this is not how she imagined her story would end and that it is not the whole story. The Verge asked if she is pursuing legal action against Microsoft.

“This is not how I ever imagined my story here would end. And it is not the whole story.”

What matters most

Helen Chiang, Xbox's former COO, says she was fired unfairly after 21 years at Microsoft, denying reports of policy violations and claiming standards were not applied consistently.

Read the original on The Verge

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