[Update: Watch the Skyrim: Dragonborn trailer!]
Though an ambiguous proposition from the start, we’re guessing the current fruition of DLC for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim wasn’t exactly what Bethesda had in mind. Almost a year into the game’s release, Dawnguard, though well-reviewed, stands as the only legitimate expansion for Skyrim, while Hearthfire, a home-creation add-on, failed to spark much enthusiasm for the game at all. And of course you’re missing out on all anticlimactism if you only own a PS3; Bethesda still finds itself unable to release DLC for Sony’s system and, as of October 5, still has no timetable for finding a solution.
The developer isn’t yet done with Skyrim, though – not by a long shot, if we had to guess – and intrepid fans might have discovered that the game’s next DLC is its most ambitious expansion to date.
Monday marked the beginning the of opt-in process for the Skyrim 1.8 beta update on Steam. According to details on the Bethesda blog, the only enhancements are a few boilerplate bug fixes:
- General memory and stability improvements
- Fixed rare crash when using vampiric grip
- Fixed issue where Arnleif and Sons Trading Company could become permanently locked
- Fixed issue related to duplicate NPCs
- Fixed rare issue where exterior door would not open properly
That perception changed after players dug into the update’s source code.
As of now, several threads on the official Elder Scrolls forums have compiled source files from the update revealing preparations for a “DLC2″ named “Dragonborn.” One uncovered file seems to establish the Morrowind island of Solstheim as a new setting, with main attractions including Raven Rock, Miraak Temple, Castle Karstaag and Telvanni Tower. Another code contained instructions for a text prompt – “you cannot cast that type of spell while riding a dragon.” Within the various threads gamers are also noting references to new weapons and armor, new abilities like horseback spellcasting, and, perhaps of most importance to a few fans, PlayStation 3 support for DLC.
Bethesda has yet to comment on the reports, and naturally a line of code isn’t always implicit of concrete game content. Assuming, however, that (A) these are the Skyrim update’s actual source files, and (B) that Bethesda doesn’t have any motive to troll their fanbase (their PR prerogative is likely set to “tread lightly” with the current PS3 controversy), the minutia paints an important bigger picture: one of a sizable new expansion; a setting in the fondly-remembered Morrowind; an extremely audacious dragon-riding mechanic; new skills and gear, possibly to accommodate a new storyline; and, just maybe, a release on all platforms.
Interestingly, Morrowind has been foreshadowed as a future DLC destination for Skyrim before… by none other than director Todd Howard. After a modder broke through the game’s invisible navigation barriers and discovered that the landmass was actually built within the game (he also found the province of Cyrodiil), Howard acknowledged that it could be used for future content. That was in February. Considering the size – even for just one island, Solstheim – combined with the physics feat it would be to create ride-able(?) dragons, there might be a good reason such a DLC will have taken one year.
Ranters, Skyrim needs something big. Something defining. Sweeping. It needs a Shivering Isles. Would a Morrowind DLC expansion and the implementing of dragon mounts finally be the addition we’ve been waiting for?
-
Follow me on Twitter @Brian_Sipple.
Source: Bethesda Blog, Official The Elder Scrolls Forums
Xbox One: Watch The Next-Gen Xbox Presentation Here! 
Electronic Arts Engineer Blasts the Wii U 
What You May Not Know About The ‘Xbox One’ [Updated] 
GR Giveaway: Win a Superhero-Sized Trip to San Diego This July! 
Loading ...
YES YES YES. Lay it on me, Bethesda! Though, I do wonder how we’ll be able to traverse a Telvanni Tower without levitate.
That’s the point of the dragon mounts
: 
: D 
I would love to have Morrowind as a DLC, but I would want somewhere we haven’t been yet, High Rock, Hammerfell, Elswyre and everwhere else. We players haven’t been there before. At least not like we have in Morrowind, Skyrim and Cyrodil, lets go to those places.
Make a different realm (something like Shivering Isles). Somewhere completely different then we have ever been before. Not that I am complaining about going to Morrowind, its just that someday we need to get to other places.
Elswyre, Hammerfell and High Rock are all TOTALLY different then Skyrim, AND we have not been to those places. Lets first get to Morrowind, then travel south to Black Marsh, then one territory at a time, we get to go to EVERY one of them.
Just my two cents.
The only problem is that technically “we” have been to High Rock. It was the location of “TES2: Daggerfall”.
Not nearly as good as Skyrim’s graphics. For that matter, Morrowind’s graphics either. Lets go everywhere, all with their own quest involved, does not need to be a big quest, mostly just add it so there is more to explore, add some side quests to each place.
BTW, how is that a problem? Seems more of a correction to me.
Well if you’re going to use that logic, you were able to go to ANY of the provinces in Arena, but besides the backdrop, they all looked the same.
Plus, that was before The Elder Scrolls really established their character- or flavor. I don’t think many would have a problem with visiting a 3D High Rock or Hammerfell (also part of Daggerfall)
What about black marsh? I whould love if the 6th game becomes “Elder scrolls: Black Marsh.” being a huge fan of the argonians and what not.
Given the love for jungle environments these days in games, Black Marsh would actually be my guess, but it is a REALLY strange environment and I’m not sure how they’d do some of it, but I have faith they could render it well!
there are books in at least oblivion that said Black Marsh APPEARS to be a very foregin and hostile place, this could mean there is a lot of unbased myths. Hammerfell would play to bethesda’s strengths creating a good deserted environment (pull in the team from new vegas as well.)
i am hopeing for a adventure into a whole new realm. Like Shivering isles was. However if this DLC brings us back to morrowind to see how things changed over the years. I am fine with that. Not expecting it to be as open as Elder scrolls 3 was though.
Ok, what about akavir?
I wouldn’t expect Akavir merely because it’s not in Tamriel, though it certainly is a mysterious place that I’d like to read more about in future games.
Yokuda? That and Akavir are the only regions of Tamriel never explored before.
yokuda and akavir arent in tamriel. theyre entirely different continents.
I think s/he is confusing tamriel with nirn, rookie mistake.
Yokuda sank like 50,000 years ago in a calamity. learn2lore.
And in case you haven’t noticed the trend, Bethesda NEVER does full provinces as mere add-ons.
Here is a real idea: The Psijic Isle of Artaeum
We (p3 players) would like Dawnguard first. First. Do you hear me? It is complete B.S. that we should not get Dawnguard before the x-box recives anyting more.
Aha. Ahahaha. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Enjoy your “superior”(ly) (outdated) system.
It’s not Bethesda’s fault you guys don’t have it. The PS3 works so differently than the Xbox or a PC, it can be very difficult for developers to port their games to it. Especially one as big as Skyrim. Bethesda even got Sony’s help trying to get it to work, and even they couldn’t figure it out.
Sony didn’t code the game, they built the system that every other developer seems capable of figuring out. As a developer, your job is to code a game that is compatible with whatever system you are designing for, not the other way around.
This is 100% on Bethesda, they should have NEVER put out the game in the first place if they knew about their shortcomings as developers on the PS3. They didn’t give a s***, they said “ah screw it, let’s put the game out, collect everyone’s $60…then we’ll try and figure out how to work around this issue after we get paid.” BS
Look you should be happy bethesda even MADE Skyrim for ps3 and needless to say fixed it so what if your not getting some dlc skyrim is one of the best games of the generation WITHOUT dlc I mean come on we have all plugged in hours into it, but it isn’t like it false advertised “dlc included in box” and ps3 users did not get to use it. Just hope they have fixed all this in (hopefully) TES 6 Blackmarsh
Actually, the box does say add-on content.
And lucky? Lucky? If they couldn’t give us the full Skyrim experience, it would have been better if they didn’t give us half.
Don’t listen to them Dovahkiin, just look at their names.
Beth is having trouble with the PS3 porting, and it’s unclear what it is, or whether these problems will be surmountable. There’s some speculation here: http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/GlenJoyner/20121014/179348/Outofmemory_Skyrims_PS3_woes_examined.php
Haha, thank you friend, you hae made me laugh in a time of darkness. I feel the ps3 shall never feel the touch of Vampire lords or dragon mounts.
That’s awesome too bad it won’t be out on PS3. I already sold this game so I’m just on here funnin.
I would love to see hammerfell. They could do alot with egyptian mythology and architecture.
honestly as long as vvardenfell is part of the dlc and not just solsthiem, its worth it, without vvardenfell tho idk, morrowind is what got me into elder scrolls, and for that reason thats the game i compare all elder scrolls to
as someone whos never played morrowind, I would like to explore vvardenfell too. but that one island is about half the size of skyrim (at least by the map in this article) and thats way too big for dlc.
You need to play morrowind. And as someone who’s favorite game series is elder scrolls (I’ve played all of them) I get pissed when people say the love elder scrolls and never even heard of morrowind
Eh. Morrowind is so dated at this point that some people just can’t play it. My wife wanted to see Vvardenfell so badly after she heard me and my friends hype up the experience. She couldn’t play it for very long.
Morrowind is my fave game in the series!
This might actually bring me back to it.
I haven’t touched the game in months (before any of the DLCs) but Morrowind and Dragonriding might be nice.
Well that picture confirms it. Red Eyes Black Dragon is set to appear in this DLC.
Huh, PS3 still has ardent defenders? How BIG is the idea of Skyrim? I know there are TONS of games made for both consoles but as far as I know the Elder Scrolls are unique in this manner, you get to free travel EVEYWHERE EVERYWHEN. I don’t know of ANY PS3 title that supports that kind of gamestyle. And since it was Playstation that has the problem with gamesave data memory lockouts it would NOT supprise me in the slightest to find that its that same underlying quirk of the PS3 that hinders the devlopment of DawnGuard for that system.
I am a big fan of home entertainment tech, and the one rule to that stuff is this, if you buy all Sony, it all works well within spec, but you have to accept te limit if that spec. If you mix and match,everything works at a reduced capacity, because Sony builds exclusivly to support itself, and after that throw some additional capability to work with outside manufactrers. Its just how they do stuff. Why do you expect the PS3 to be any different?