Helen Chiang, Xbox’s first chief operating officer, is leaving Microsoft

Helen Chiang, who became Xbox’s first chief operating officer in July, is leaving Microsoft today, according to The Verge, which saw an internal Xbox memo. She is leaving only a few months after the role was created.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced the departure in a brief memo. “Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today. I’m grateful for her years of service and wish her well,” Sharma wrote, as quoted by The Verge. For now, other Xbox leaders will take over Chiang’s immediate responsibilities. Sharma also said more information on COO leadership would follow once plans are finalized. The Verge reads that as a sign the position will stay.

Chiang spent 21 years at Microsoft and led Minecraft before her promotion. When she got the job, Sharma called it a first for Xbox and said it carried end-to-end profit-and-loss responsibility across content, hardware, platform and services. According to The Verge, the role was part of Xbox’s broader “reset.” Chiang reported directly to Sharma. Her job was to bring Xbox’s businesses together under one operating model and to make the organization accountable for its investment decisions and results.

It isn’t clear why Chiang is leaving. Microsoft declined to discuss the circumstances. “We don’t discuss individual personnel matters,” Xbox vice president of communications Kari Perez told The Verge, adding that the company was grateful for Chiang’s years of service. The Verge suggests the exit was probably not a resignation, pointing to how short and sudden the memo was and to her duties being handed to other leaders.

The departure comes amid unconfirmed reports that Xbox is preparing more layoffs this month, in November and in January.