First mentioned at E3 back in June, The Elder Scrolls Online now has a rough ETA for its player-owned customisable housing system: February, 2017.

Named Homestead, the free update will introduce 40 different homes across the world map within which players can buy or craft over 2,000 items using their existing crafting skills. As can be seen in the trailer below, dwellings will be styled after one of the game's ten specific races and will vary in size—from small living spaces such as Inn rooms, to "huge manor estates with vast outdoor areas," so says publisher Bethesda Softworks in a statement. All homes will be located in base zones at launch, not within DLC areas. 

"Unfurnished homes will be available for purchase with either in-game Gold or with Crowns in the Crown Store," adds Bethesda. "Fully furnished homes will be available for purchase through the Crown Store with Crowns. Players will be allowed to preview homes prior to purchase, whether furnished and unfurnished."

Other points worth noting are that homes will be "instanced"—meaning there won't be a land rush of players attempting to acquire property. Players will also be able to fast travel to their homes via the world map; and homeowners will be able to invite visitors individually or in groups and will also be able to jump to other players' homes via friends lists and guild rosters. 

The furniture you create via Furniture Crafting can be sold to other players, and, crucially, homes are secure—meaning other players cannot break into our steal from your self-styled abodes.  

Again, no concrete release date just yet, but The Elder Scrolls' Homestead update is expected to land in February, 2017. Full details can be found on the game's official site. 

After a rocky start, Zenimax's flagship multiplayer, The Elder Scrolls Online, has steadily found its feet. Dropping its subscription model, and introducing features such as the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood have gone a long way in making it one of the best MMOs around. Its latest batch of goodies focuses on the Crown Store—ESO's in-game marketplace. 

As of today, Crown Crates will be added to the Crown Store which contain a "randomised selection of useful consumables and collectibles that are valued more than the price of a single crate." Within these crates, players stand a chance of gaining unique cosmetic items, pets and/or mounts, as well as items you may have missed in expired limited edition offers. 

"Whenever you purchase a Crown Crate, you will always be awarded four items, with the chance to get a fifth item," reads an update post on the ESO blog. "In the event you receive a mount, pet, costume or personality that you already own from your Crown Crate, you'll be awarded a new resource—Crown Gems—in its place. You will also have the option to convert several items obtained from Crown Crates to Crown Gems any time you want."

The post continues to say items that can be manually traded include utility-type items, such as: potions, poisons, riding lessons, and experience scrolls, among other things. Each Crown Crate will be tied to a "special season" to be cycled quarterly. Storm Atronachs mark the first season, which can be viewed in this gallery: 

Furthermore, the Crown Store's December showcase adds a host of costume upgrades, crafting options, and mounts—such as the Great Elk and Ice Wolf. Full details on the specifics can be found this way. A limited edition White River Ice Wolf Pup will be available between December 8-12. Cute.