New Skyrim Hearthfire DLC hits Xbox Live next week

The wait for new Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim content won't be very long for some. Hearthfire, the role-playing game's second batch of downloadable content, is due out on September 4 on Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft points ($5), Bethesda announced today.

The content allows players to purchase land and build a home from the ground up. Players can furnish their abodes with an armory, alchemy laboratory, and a garden, where they can craft items for use in the game. Those who want the job done more quickly can hire a steward to purchase materials and furnish their homes for them.

Once a home is completed, players can move in with their spouse and even adopt a child through the game's new adoption system. Home ownership comes with its own tasks and perils, with players needing to raise their children and defend their home from giants, as well as other nasty creatures.

As part of a previous agreement between Microsoft and Bethesda, all Skyrim DLC launches first on Xbox Live. PlayStation 3 and PC gamers can expect the content to become available for them in about a month.

Hearthfire follows Skyrim's Dawnguard expansion, which launched in June for the Xbox 360. It was released for the PC in early August, but has yet to arrive for the PlayStation 3.