Rumored Skyrim DLC Called Hearthfire

Those who have been paying attention to Bethesda's trademarking history are aware that one of the newest names to come up is Hearthfire, prompting new DLC rumors to begin circulating on message boards.

Reddit user derptemp6698, who correctly leaked the Mass Effect 3 DLC, allegedly had this to say...

"Hearthfire, the next official game-add on for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim®, has arrived. For the first time in the Elder Scrolls universe, purchase land and build your own home from the ground up - from a simple one-room cottage to a sprawling compound complete with armory, alchemy laboratory, trophy room, and more! With Hearthfire, the possibilities of what you can build are endless."

That seems to make sense, as the word "hearth" generally refers to either the area in front of a fireplace or home. It certainly conjures up home-esque images, at any rate.

Despite all of the rumors and excitement surrounding the potential new DLC, expectations should be held in check as PS3 users have yet to even get their hands on the first Dawnguard DLC. In fact, PS3 players in Europe have yet to get either the 1.6 or 1.7 patch updates necessary for preparing Skyrim for Dawnguard; these same patches were released in early July for the 360 and PC.

Whatever the new DLC contains, Microsoft still has a 30 day exclusivity contract in place with Bethesda that will withhold the DLC from other platforms for at least that long, and likely (if Dawnguard is any indication) longer. The deal covers the first two Skyrim DLC's, so perhaps after "Hearthfire" (if it exists), the other platforms will see same-day releases for the following DLC (if there is any).