On November 2, former Xbox COO Helen Chiang took to LinkedIn to “set the record straight” about rumors over 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 — just three months after the position was created — came as a shock to both industry veterans and fans alike.
Eurogamer reported that Chiang had allegedly been “terminated for policy violations.” A week later, Chiang spoke out to share her side of the story in a lengthy post on LinkedIn titled “Clarity is Kindness.”
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In her post, Chiang said rumors of this supposed policy violation were “not accurate,” and claimed that the discourse surrounding her departure from Xbox has “created a picture of me that I hardly recognize.”
She strongly denied accusations of “leaking confidential company information to the press,” saying she’s never spoken to journalists outside of interviews approved by Xbox. She also denied rumors that she left the company to join a competitor, and pushed back on allegations of “engaging in discrimination, bullying, harassment, insider trading, embezzlement, or other fraudulent activity,” or leaving because she was “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.
“I believe in fairness, accountability, and holding ourselves to the standards we expect of others. Those standards only mean something when they’re applied consistently. I have serious concerns about how they were applied in my case, and I believe those concerns deserve to be taken seriously.
“I share this because I don’t want my departure reduced to an inaccurate story about incompetence, ambition for the next big job, or a Nelson-level scandal. My story is about staying true to your core values, especially when it is hard. That’s the legacy I hope to leave behind.”
She ended her post by saying that this was “not how I ever imagined my story here would end,” saying, “it is not the whole story.”
IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.
Chiang’s exit was confirmed by an internal memo obtained by The Verge on October 23. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma mentioned the news in a brief statement within the memo, writing: “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.”
Chiang’s promotion was announced amid the news of Xbox’s massive restructuring in the summer. In a statement, Sharma praised Chiang for her tenure at the company, saying, “Over nearly two decades at Xbox, Helen has 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, making sure we make clear investment decisions, learn from our successes and failures, and hold ourselves accountable for results.”
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at@TheeMissGlaze.
