Layoffs have plagued the gaming industry for years now, making it clear that truly no one is safe, no matter the quality of your work. It's a tumultuous time to be a part of the gaming industry, and while we're more than accustomed to stories about groups of devs getting the boot, it seems like anyone can get cut these days.
Enter Helen Chiang, Microsoft's Chief Operations Officer, who worked for the company for 21 years through ups and downs and was released after only a few months in the COO seat. An internal email initially revealed the news, but new information from Eurogamer suggests Chiang may have lost her position over an internal 'policy violation,' with no concrete information given for her release.
From Zero to Hero and Back Again
Chiang's climb through Microsoft sounds like a textbook example of the American dream, starting small, working on mapping software for the main company before joining XBOX in 2007. She bounced around the gaming division before settling on Minecraft in 2014, acting as a major player in the game's spread across platforms.
Chiang herself was a celebrated member of staff, and her rise to COO was met with massive support....
