 Dawnguard, the first downloadable add-on for Skyrim, revolves around a battle between the Dawnguard and Clan Volkihar. The Dawnguard, a band of vampire hunters, rely on the use of their trademark crossbow weapons in their pursuit against Clan Volkihar, a family of vampires. Early in Dawnguard's quest line, players must choose which faction they join forces with. Dawnguard adds new content to the game including weapons, magic and armor, and expands the abilities afforded to players who choose to become either a vampire or a werewolf. It also adds two new areas outside of the main land of Skyrim to explore — the Soul Cairn, a plane of the realm Oblivion, and the Forgotten Vale, a secluded glacial valley. Dawnguard released on the Xbox 360 in English-speaking territories on June 26, 2012, and in European countries in mid-July 2012. Via the digital distribution platform Steam, Dawnguard released for Windows on August 2, 2012. Performance issues on the PlayStation 3 platform hampered Dawnguard's, and subsequent content add-ons', release on it. Dawnguard eventually released on the PlayStation 3 on February 26, 2013 in North America and on February 27, 2013, in Europe.
