Former Xbox COO Helen Chiang denies rumors of policy violation firing

Former Xbox COO Helen Chiang has addressed speculation regarding her departure from Microsoft. Chiang, who held the role for three months, used LinkedIn to deny reports that she was fired for a policy violation. She stated that those claims are not accurate and noted she has serious concerns regarding how standards were applied in her case.

Image: GamingBolt

Shannon Loftis, a former Xbox veteran with 29 years at Microsoft, criticized the current leadership under CEO Asha Sharma following Chiang's comments. Loftis called the company's functioning a "clownshow" and claimed the leadership has lost moral character. Loftis also suggested that the CEO should have pursued the individual who leaked the false claims about Chiang's termination.

Reports say the remaining Xbox leadership is handling Chiang's responsibilities, though there is no official word on whether the company is looking for a replacement. These leadership tensions follow recent financial difficulties for Xbox, including Gears of War: E-Day falling short of 500k sales while carrying a $500 million budget. Reports also suggest that Sharma is planning more rounds of layoffs.