Once upon a time, Perfect World Entertainment was planning to release a humorous martial arts game called Kung Foo. After the closed beta ended in February, PWE decided to postpone the title because it wasn't ready for the open market. Well, the game has been reborn with a new name: Legend of Martial Arts.

Legend of Martial Arts is scheduled to launch by the end of November, but PWE has only teased fans with what they can expect to see in the game. According to the team's welcome post, the MMO has received a "total graphical and content overhaul" from its Kung Foo days. A separate post gives players a look at the updated graphics.

PWE has promised to provide more details on Legend of Martial Arts as the game nears the launch window. Did you participate in the Kung Foo beta?

The Kung Foo! closed beta is scheduled to end on Feb. 16 at 11 a.m., and it looks like that's the last we'll see from the humorous MMO for awhile. Perfect World Entertainment has announced that it plans to "relaunch the game later this year with a new expansion containing additional content and optimized localization."

According to the announcement, PWE will use the time to add content that will make it easier for all types of players to jump into the game. The team also hopes to improve Kung Foo! based on player feedback that was collected during the closed beta.

The current Kung Foo! closed beta test has been extended until Jan. 22 at 11 a.m. PST, but don't worry if you don't have time to log in this week. Perfect World Entertainment has announced that the second closed beta test (which you may want to refer to as Closed Beta Hyper Phase 2) begins Jan. 26 at 4 p.m.

The servers will be wiped in preparation for the second closed beta test, but players who participate will be given high level characters with the best gear! This means you can check out end-game content before Kung-Foo! even launches.

To kick CBT #2 off in style, the PWE team will be hosting a GM hide-and-sneak preview event on Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. Players will have to use a screenshot hint to find the GM and win a special prize.

Perfect World Entertainment seems so excited about the upcoming Kung Foo! closed beta events that it published not one, but two separate blog entries on the topic! The festivities start today, Jan. 13, at 3 p.m. PST with a fashion show. Information on the event can be found in this thread on the official forums.

Monsters will be invading the beta on Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. and Jan. 20 at 10 a.m., so be prepared for battle. The closed beta ends on Jan. 20, but players who reach level 40 by then will earn a Sweet Wolf pet to show off in both the closed and open beta. Also, closed beta participants will be getting a Lolligator Transformation to use in the open beta.

Aside from the pet and transformation, the servers will be wiped clean at the end of the closed beta. Have you tried out the game yet?

According to the newest Kung Foo! newsletter, the game's closed beta begins today at 4 p.m. PST. Keys were given out through the newsletter, a Twitter contest and the Kung Foo! Facebook page.

If you didn't get a key yet, don't worry. Perfect World Entertainment will be giving out more keys via all of those various social networking sites soon. Keep an eye on Twitter and Facebook, and be sure to sign up for the mailing list on the Kung Foo! site.

PR Manager Jason Varden has confirmed in a new blog post that the Kung Foo! closed beta begins on Jan. 5. The post also takes a closer look at the current Twitter pun contest that asks players to write clever #FOO puns for a chance to win a beta key.

The post lists some of the best puns to date, such as "#FOOmpa OOmpas dooba de de, what would you do for a beta key?" The most popular cultural reference is Mr. T; he pities #FOOs, after all. You can read the full blog post after the jump.

PR Manager Jason Varden has posted a guide on how to crash the Kung Foo! closed beta on the new Perfect World Entertainment blog. According to Varden, all you need to do is sign up for the Kung Foo! newsletter and follow the game's official Twitter account for the chance to enter the beta.

"We want smart and witty closed beta participants, who will enjoy our games as much as we do working on them," Varden said. He suggests catching the team's attention by writing witty Foo puns using the #FOO tag on Twitter. The writers of the funniest puns will receive a closed beta invite. You can read some examples after the jump.

Perfect World Entertainment has just revamped its site, and the changes include a new blog that promises to "offer a glimpse behind the 'corporate curtain' of PWE and give our users an understanding of who we are, what makes us tick, further insight into our products/features along with the occasional dose of office shenanigans and if you're REALLY fortunate perhaps the recipe for the ultimate Banana-Walnut muffin!"

The blog has already received a ton of updates, including this tidbit from SillyPsyche: "We’re also getting ramped up for some huge releases next year including Forsaken World (formerly project Empire). From what I have seen so far it looks like it’s going to take the gaming experience to a new level. As a former hardcore MMO player I fear for my free time when this one comes out!"

The Perfect World Entertainment portal gives players access to games such as Perfect World, Jade Dynasty, Ether Saga Online, Torchlight, and the upcoming Kung Foo!

A lot of Kung Foo! news has been released since Perfect World International launched the teaser site for the humor MMO earlier this month. According to the most recent newsletter, comic book writer Devin Grayson has been added to the staff as a special guest writer. Also, the teaser site has been expanded to include screenshots, concept art, a trailer and a forum.

But wait, there's more! CM IronFish is currently posting his experiences from levels 1-20 on the Kung Foo! Facebook page, keep an eye on that to see what's in store for this MMO that promises to poke fun at everything from Kung Fu movies to game shows.

For more information on the game, check out the screenshots in our gallery and read the facts sheet after the jump.

Have you ever wanted to play an MMO that pokes fun at the genre and focuses more on humor than swords or superheroes? Well, you may want to keep an eye out for Kung Foo, Perfect World Entertainment's upcoming game that "has no qualms in making fun of other MMOs, taking their lunch money and then dating their sister."

PWI hasn't released much information yet about the game, but you can currently sign up for e-mail updates on the teaser site. The first letter explains that the meaning of life is bunnies and reveals that beta invites will be sent out to players who ask "pretty please with a cherry on top." You can read the full letter after the jump.