Late yesterday afternoon, rumors surfaced that Jeff Gerstmann, GameSpot's Editorial Director and popular game reviewer had been fired.

Along with early reports of the rumor, sources said that Gerstmann was relieved of duty based on a poor review for the video game Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, which he scored 6 out or 10. Eidos, the creator of the game, had been running ads on the gaming site in recent times to encourage players to purchase the game.

Gerstmann won't talk about the ordeal in detail and simply answered queries with a simple "no comment" as we've learned that this has been the ordered response to any outside queries regarding the circumstances around Gerstmann's departure.

While the loss of a high-profile editor is a negative for any publication, GameSpot has recently lost several editors in recent months and Gerstmann was one of the last two remain original editors on the GameSpot staff. Some of those losses seem to stem from disagreements with CNET's new style of management and a rethinking about how the company does business.

Given Gerstmann's unique style of storytelling and rating video games, when he is able to talk, we can't wait to listen.

[Update] CNET replied to a Joystiq inquiry with an official response that offered very little detail regarding the firing, "GameSpot takes its editorial integrity extremely seriously. For over a decade, Gamespot and the many members of its editorial team have produced thousands of unbiased reviews that have been a valuable resource for the gaming community. At CNET Networks, we stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis."

While there's still not enough information to bring it to court, you can choose to be judge and jury in GameDaily's Gerstmann vs. Kane & Lynch Poll.

[Update 2] Joystiq offered additional comments as another public relations rep for CNET reacted to gamers' reaction that the company terminated Gerstmann due to his poor review of an advertiser's game. She stated, "We do not terminate employees based on external pressure from advertisers." When Kyle Orland, the author of the piece, asked if Eidos had pressured the company about the review, she issued no comment.