Last we'd heard, developer Bethesda was working diligently to get their first DLC for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim on the PS3, and that as soon as they made progress they would let gamers know. Since then, however, the developer has gone on to reveal a new piece of DLC, Hearthfire, for Skyrim without so much as a vague mention of where PS3 version of Dawnguard.

Now, we have an update from Bethesda as to where they stand with Dawnguard, as well as how they are approaching new content, and it's not going to make PS3 gamers happy. Essentially, rather than a confirmation that the PS3 version of Dawnguard is almost finished, Bethesda is now implying it, and future DLC, might never see the console at all.

There's talk of the difficulties the developer had with the console to begin with — we all know how bad the game's launch was on PS3 —  and that compounds the problem when looking at DLC. It's not just Dawnguard that Bethesda needs to think about, though, it's their entire plan for future expansions, which includes the aforementioned Hearthfire.

Nearly every time new details are revealed about Skyrim — be it a patch, an update, or mod — fans continue to ask where Dawnguard for the PS3 is, and it looks like they may be inquiring indefinitely. Here's the full response from Bethesda:

Earlier in the month, we provided an update on Dawnguard's status for PS3.

It's been a few weeks, and we wanted to make sure everyone knows where we're at with Dawnguard. 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 for everyone. The PS3 is a powerful system, and we're working hard to deliver the content you guys want. Dawnguard is obviously not the only DLC we’ve been working on either, so the issues of adding content get even more complicated. This is not a problem we’re positive we can solve, but we are working together with Sony to try to bring you this content.

We wish we had a more definitive answer right now. We understand the frustration when the same content is not available on all platforms. When we have an update, we will certainly let you know. We deeply appreciate all the time and support you have given us, and we’ll keep doing our best to return that.

Now PS3 players are left to hope that somehow Bethesda is able to reconcile their problems before the next DLC releases, lest they be lost forever. It's entirely possible that if Bethesda can't get things going on Dawnguard by the time Hearthfire releases, that they would forgo PS3-based DLC releases altogether, claiming they'd lost too much ground on that particular console.

However last time Bethesda said they were struggling with the PS3 and couldn't make progress with an update, they up and revealed a release date a few days later. That may not be the case here, but gamers are hoping things take a turn for the better, and soon.

What's your tipping point as far as this Dawnguard DLC is concerned? How long are you willing to wait before giving up hope?

Skyrim's Hearthfire DLC is slated to release on September 4, 2012 for the Xbox 360.

Source: Bethesda Forums