'Skyrim DLC' Will Be Called 'Dawnguard,' Bethesda Confirms Release Date For This Summer

The day has finally come. After months of speculation and anticipation, Bethesda finally announced that the upcoming DLC will be called Dawnguard. The downloadable content package will debut on Xbox consoles this summer, and more details will be available at E3. This is the first DLC to be released for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which was released in November 2011.

Dawnguard. Coming this summer to Xbox 360. More details at E3, the Bethesda Softworks Twitter account posted on May 1^st.

The artwork for the Dawnguard expansion features a Viking-esque character with visible crossbow arrows in his arsenal and glowing eyes. It looks likes fans were on point when they assumed the DLC release would feature Dawnguards, which was predicted after a patent was filed for the term in March.

The trademark filed is for computer game software and video game consoles; downloadable computer game software offered via the Internet and wireless devices.

Players recently suspected that the content would focus on Snow Elf characters after a game update leaked information through file folders. Skyrim's 1.5.26 update contained a folder labeled DLC01, and included assets for new Snow Elf characters, a Snow Elf Princess, crossbows and new vampire animations such as feeding and hypnosis. It is unclear if this will play a role in the Dawnguard DLC, but the artwork does show the arrows.

Earlier today Bethesda's Vice President of PR and Marketing Pete Hines revealed that the announcement would come today:

A tidbit of info, Hines posted on Twitter on May 1^st. Not a complete dload of info. Managing expectations. RT @ElderScrolls: Be on the lookout for the 1^st DLC info today.