No one was expecting another Terraria update to be on the way, and yet no one was surprised when the developers announced that yet another Terraria update was on the way. While this may seem absurd and contradictory at first, it's a statement that perfectly encapsulates the history this legendary platformer has had regarding the way it handled its post-launch content.
Older fans of Terraria remember a time when 1.1 was meant to represent the final content patch of the game. While 1.1 established the modern Terraria experience that players have come to know and love through the introduction of Hardmode, the game has gone on to completely expand upon its gameplay loop through three, even bigger content updates in 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 (titled Journey's End). Taking this into account, it comes as little surprise that Terraria won the "Labor of Love" award on Steam – which intentionally also happens to be the name of the upcoming update announced last night.
Covered by ChippyGaming, an iconic voice in Terraria's community, the new patch seems to be smaller in scope and focused around providing some welcome upgrades to the game's more underwhelming weapons, as well as a few secret items for players to discover when the update finally launches.
Among the most notable balancing changes made in 1.4.4, the weapons receiving an upgrade include the Dark Lance, Frostbrand, Flairon, Scourge of the Corruptor, and Star Wrath. For example, Star Wrath's projectiles no longer share an immunity timer, allowing them to hit single targets without an awkward delay, which should dramatically increase the sword's effectiveness when fighting bosses.
The update brings some quality of life additions in the form of improving on the Angler's quest rewards, as well as spawning a Plantera Bulb in the Underground Jungle biome immediately after defeating the Mechanical Bosses in early Hardmode. Terraria'scrossover event with Dungeon Defenders 2 has also received some much-needed love, as right-clicking on the Eternia Crystal will allow players to skip the remaining wait time between waves. The items sold by the Innkeeper for Defender Medals have also had their prices reduced (up to 40%).
One thing that players have been consistently asking for is introducing proper Endgame weapons for every Terraria gameplay archetype. A Zenith for every class, so to speak. While Terraria mods have created their own interpretations of these weapons, there is hope in the community that the secret items announced with the new patch will be just that.
Terraria is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.