We contacted CNet Networks last night to try to get confirmation about the rumored dismissal of Jeff Gerstmann, former editorial director and veteran reviewer at Gamespot. While Leslie Van Every, Director of Public Relations, did confirm that Gerstmann was no longer with the organization, she declined to comment on "the status of employees current [or] former", citing CNet Networks' policy. The official statement from Gamespot is after the break.

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.

As many of our readers and peers have noticed, Gamespot is no longer running the prominent Kane & Lynch: Dead Men ads on its web site. They were removed late last night, a few hours after publication of the original story. It is unknown whether this change was in response to the rumor that Gerstmann was fired over reasons surrounding the Eidos published game or if the promotion had simply run its course.

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