Ex-Xbox COO Helen Chiang denies policy-violation firing
Helen Chiang said she never leaked confidential information or used unauthorized channels, and raised concerns about how standards were applied in her case.
Helen Chiang, the former chief operating officer of Xbox, publicly denied that she was fired for a policy violation and said she has serious concerns about how standards were applied in her departure, according to kotaku.com.
In a statement posted on LinkedIn on November 2, 2026, Chiang said claims that she was dismissed over a policy violation are not accurate. She said she never leaked confidential company information and never used unauthorized communication channels.
She also said she did not leave for a competitor, was not passed over for a bigger role, and denied discrimination, bullying, harassment, insider trading, embezzlement and other fraudulent activity.
Microsoft said it does not discuss individual personnel matters and wished Chiang well.
Chiang had been at Microsoft since 2005 and spent more than a decade overseeing Minecraft at Mojang. Earlier in 2026 she was promoted to Xbox chief operating officer during a major reorganization of the division, and her departure was reported about three months later. In October 2026, Eurogamer reported that she had been fired for a policy violation.
Quick answers
What did Helen Chiang say about her Xbox departure?
She denied being fired for a policy violation and said she never leaked confidential information or used unauthorized channels, and that she has serious concerns about how standards were applied in her case.
What did Microsoft say about Helen Chiang's exit?
Microsoft said it does not discuss individual personnel matters and wished her well.