More ‘Skyrim’ DLC Already? Why Zenimax’ Recent Trademark Could Mean New Content
"Skyrim" fans have been anticipating an upcoming downloadable content expansion since the game was released in November 2011. Bethesda recently announced that it will be called "Dawnguard," but a new patent just filed has fans wondering what these means for their favorite open-roam RPG. Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda has officially announced yet another DLC for “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.” The studio made the official announcement on Monday, revealing the trailer for what will be Skyrim’s "Dragonborn" DLC.

Dragonborn will be released on the Xbox 360 on Dec. 4 for 1600 Microsoft Points. No release date for PCs or the PlayStation 3 has been specified.

The official Bethesda Twitter account posted the announcement alongside a link to the trailer on Monday morning, encouraging players to watch the new footage.

Just a few weeks ago, attentive Skyrim players noticed files named “DLC2” and “Dragonborn” in the game’s most recent update, hinting that the next expansion was underway. Bethesda also alluded that Dragonborn would be the next DLC when it trademarked the term back in May.

The patent description was little short of a confirmation, as it read the following: “computer game software use with computers and video game consoles; downloadable computer game software offered via the Internet and wireless devices.”

Just as previous rumors predicted, Skyrim players will be returning to the island of Solstheim in "Dragonborn." And, of course, as the name insinuates, it looks like players will be able to ride a dragon. Bethesda has not officially confirmed these dragon mounts, but the trailer clearly depicts a player getting onto a dragon and then flying off.

The Dragon Beast will be the primary villain in Skyrim’ new DLC. Players will have to stop this creature, which was the very first Dragonborn in the Skyrim universe, from returning to devour the power of all the dragons.

But perhaps the most exciting feature for Skyrim players will be the return to Solstheim, an island in northern Tamriel that was the focus of Bloodmoon DLC found in “The Elder Scrolls X: Morrowind.” This could certainly be an attractive element for reminiscent Skyrim players.

The trailer also shows off some new armor types that players may see, so its clear that gamers can expect Dragonborn to be a large DLC like Dawnguard. The most recent DLC for Skyrim was Hearthfire, which was a smaller add-on that opened new opportunities for players’ characters, such as the ability to build a home or adopt children.

For those wishing to get a sneak peak at what could be in future Skyrim DLCs, check out the Game Jam video from this year’s DICE Summit. The developers of Skyrim got together and created a montage containing the ideal features they would like to see in the game. A number of these characteristics have appeared in subsequent Skyrim DLCs, such as the ability to adopt children that was found in the Hearthfire DLC . Dragon mounts were also originally seen in the Game Jam video, and now it looks as if this feature may be coming to the forthcoming DLC.

As Xbox 360 players gear up for a new Skyrim DLC, PS3 players are still left in the dark. Owners of Sony’s most recent game console have yet to receive the first Skyrim DLC, Dawnguard, which was released for Xbox players back in June.

In September, Bethesda wrote an open letter to fans apologizing for and addressing the issues that have prevented DLC from coming to the PS3.

“It’s been a few weeks, and we wanted to make sure everyone knows where we’re at with Dawnguard,” the post read. “Skyrim is a massive and dynamic game that requires a lot of resources, and things get much more complex when you’re talking about sizable content like Dawnguard. We have tried a number of things, but none of them solve the issue enough to make Dawnguard good enough for everyone.”

Check out the trailer below to see what to expect from Dragonborn. Also view the Game Jam video below to see how many similarities you can find with the Skyrim DLCs that have been released thus far.