Helen Chiang, the first-ever Chief Operating Officer for Microsoft's Xbox division, is leaving the company on October 23, 2026. Chiang, a veteran of nearly two decades with the company, had previously led the highly successful Minecraft franchise.
Her appointment to the newly created COO role occurred in early July 2026, meaning her tenure lasted just over three months. The position was established as part of a major restructuring within Xbox, which included significant layoffs and the divestment of several game studios. The COO role was designed to unify Xbox's content, hardware, platform, and services under a single operational model.