Pick up your sword and slash your so-called friends into submission in The Witcher: Versus, the web-based dueling game formerly known as The Witcher: DuelMail. In The Witcher: Versus, players can finally fulfill their dreams of challenging a friend or complete stranger to a duel without having to put their real-world lives on the line. The game is free to play.

The Witcher: Versus should be considered a serious hazard to productivity for anyone with computer access at work, due to its “just one more fight and then I’ll quit for today” nature. As a sorcerer, witcher or frightener, players challenge others to head-to-head battles with magic, swords, claws and more at their disposal. Winning a duel earns the player experience and money, which they can then use to upgrade their character’s attributes, learn new skills and buy new weapons in hopes of reaching the upper echelon of the game’s online leader board. The Witcher: Versus will be continually supported in the coming months with special events, competitions and more.

Later this year, developer one2tribe will add premium content to further enrich the deep gameplay of The Witcher: Versus. To avoid riots and hate mail, one2tribe reassures cash-strapped gamers around the world that they will not be shafted by this new content, as those who indulge in premium content will not gain an advantage within the game. The core gameplay of The Witcher: Versus will remain free of charge, and will continue to evolve in parallel in the coming months.

Premium content will be added gradually; the first premium access package will contain new features intended to ease account and character management; they include a rucksack for items that are not currently equipped, a history of fights against a certain player (for ultimate bragging rights), as well as a private duels archive. The designers will reveal additional details over the next few months.

Future changes in The Witcher: Versus will not focus on premium content only, and will serve to make the free-to-play game even more enticing; leagues, tournaments, challenges, a full-featured RPG world and much more will begin to find their way into The Witcher: Versus in the later part of the year.

Gamers who wish to hack, slash, and uhh… magic their way to victory over friends and strangers on their lunch breaks (or anytime, really) can visit http://versus.thewitcher.com to get in on the action.

So what are you waiting for? Head to the official website and start fighting everyone… and don’t worry about getting arrested.