As it celebrates its 13th birthday, Terraria update 1.1 is here on Steam. “But wait,” I hear you cry, “aren’t we currently waiting on the launch of Terraria 1.4.5?” Well, yes, but as a special present to mark the occasion of one of the best PC games (and one of the best-selling games ever), developer Re-Logic is bringing back the sandbox game’s first ‘final update’ as a new playable mode. With over a million Steam reviews giving it a combined 97% review score at this point, it’s time to revisit one of the most pivotal moments in Terraria history.
“You heard right, everyone – Terraria has officially entered its teenage years,” head of business strategy Ted ‘Loki’ Murphy writes in a post to the game’s community forum. It’s astonishing to think it’s been 13 years since the launch of the indie sandbox that grew into one of the best PC games ever, but here we are. I won’t pretend I don’t feel a little old.
“It is a time of celebration,” Murphy continues, “but more so a time of reflection: on the journey we have taken thus far, what is coming soon, and what may lie ahead beyond the horizon. It is humbling to know that our small team has been able to release and support a game as successful as Terraria for all these years.
“Even more humbling is the unwavering support that each of you has shown us throughout those 13 years. Through the ups and downs that game dev and even life has thrown at us, your support has been the one constant that we know we can rely on each and every day,” Murphy says. “In fact, we appreciate you so much that we got you a birthday present.”
Following the Terraria Undeluxe Edition that Re-Logic dropped on us for April Fools Day, the developer announces the release of Terraria 1.1 as an alternative beta branch on Steam. Technically, it’s Terraria 1.1.2, the definitive update for what was at the time the original ‘final version’ of the beloved sandbox game.
Rewind your brain to the very end of 2011, a time where the bold Terraria 1.1 update brings a vast overhaul to the table. A mysterious new denizen of the hellish underworld called the Wall of Flesh has just arrived, with the promises of ‘new challenges’ if you’re able to successfully summon and then defeat him.
We now know this as the beginning of Terraria hardmode, and it’s around the halfway point through the standard progression (if not a little earlier), but at the time it was a completely new concept. 1.1 saw the introduction of a way to break demon altars, leading to the creation of new Terraria hardmode armor and accessories, along with three new NPCs – the Wizard, Mechanic, and Goblin Tinkerer.
The update also unlocked three more challenging variants of the core Terraria bosses, which became known as the ‘mechanical bosses’ and were, at the time, the ultimate challenge you could face. We’ve come a very long way since then, but it’s nice to have the chance to revisit what was at the time the complete Terraria experience and see just what’s changed.
You can play Terraria update 1.1 now on Steam. Simply head to the beta tab in the game’s properties menu from your Steam library and select ‘v1.1.2 – First Final Update’ from the drop-down menu. You can also get your hands on the dedicated server launcher for Terraria 1.1.2 courtesy of Re-Logic over at the Terraria community forum.
If all this has you in a reminiscing mood, here are the best old games you can still play today. Alternatively, have a browse through the best indie games in 2024 to see what other fantastic creations from smaller studios you might be missing out on.
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