Last month, Terraria got its largest update in nearly two years. The 1.3 update was the third major content drop the game has received since it launched in 2011, with dozens of additional updates in between—including a Halloween update and a Christmas update, both of which brought end-game events that are now staples of Terraria's progression. The 1.3 update finally added what developer Re-Logic has called a "final boss" to the game, so I was curious what the future of Terraria held. I caught up with Andrew "Redigit" Spinks, the CEO and Lead Developer at Re-Logic, to talk about what's next for Terraria, mod support, a creative mode, Terraria 2, and yoyos.
PC Gamer: How did the rollout of the 1.3 update go?
Andrew "Redigit" Spinks: The launch of 1.3 went better than any of us expected. It is actually out performing our last major update. There were a few bugs that cropped up here and there but we were able to fix a majority of them relatively fast.
How much larger would you say Terraria is now than when it was first launched? (How many new items, enemies, etc.)
Spinks: Since the release of 1.0 we have added 2,827 items, 490 creatures, and loads of new content/features/mechanics. We have made a lot of improvements to the engine and added a lot of new backgrounds and world gen variations. It is crazy how far this game has come since release. It feels like a completely different game now.
Why did you decide to support the game for so long? Why not release DLC or expansions?
Spinks: Making Terraria was always about making a game that I wanted to play. Every time I would think we were done we always found new inspiration to come back and add to the game. Our community has been really good to us and we felt the need to return the favor.
Did you ever consider charging for extra content?
Spinks: No, not really. As a gamer I have never really been a fan of paid DLC.
1.3 added a “final boss” to Terraria, does that mean the game is actually finished. Is it finally at the point you had originally envisioned it?
Spinks: I was never happy with the idea of Terraria not having a final boss. This will likely be the end of the game's progression, but we do intend to continue updating. There is a lot we can do without pushing progression further. We have a lot of ideas for new mechanics and alternate biomes.
If Steam Early Access had been around in 2011, would Terraria have been an Early Access game? Or did your ambition with the game grow after its release?
Spinks: I would not have done Early Access had that been an option. I would have continued to work on the game until I felt it was ready for release. Because Terraria was leaked, I felt forced to release the game sooner than I would have liked and worked towards getting it to my ideal release state.
I’d heard that 1.3 will be the last major content update to Terraria, is that true? If so, why?
Spinks: This will be the last update that I work on personally so it is hard to say what the future holds. That decision will be left up to the team that continues to work on Terraria. We like the idea of switching to smaller more frequent updates moving forward.
We have always felt that Mod Support would be the best final update to Terraria so that the community could keep the game alive.
Any idea of how frequently?
Spinks: Not yet, this is something we will play by ear. It is very dependent on what the team wants to add at the time. If anything, I would say every 1-3 months. We are hitting a limit within the engine so we need to be careful about how we add things.
What’s next for Terraria?
Spinks: Terraria will continue to be updated and be expanded upon. Before we finish we would like to look into mod support as well as creative mode. We have always felt that Mod Support would be the best final update to Terraria so that the community could keep the game alive. I think it is great that we have such a passionate community interested in expanding on our game.
Now that 1.3 is done, will you be switching focus to Terraria 2? Can you share any details on it or how it will differ from Terraria?
Spinks: Now that Terraria is done I would like to start working on a new project that is not Terraria 2. I already have a lot of plans and ideas for Terraria 2, but that will be much later.
Can you share anything about that new project?
Spinks: I want to make a game that is very modular, that includes mod support, and makes it very easy for players to add their own content.
How does Terraria: Otherworld factor into your plans for Terraria and Terraria 2?
Spinks: Terraria: Otherworld is more to show another take on Terraria, whereas Terraria 2 will expand upon Terraria much more.
Do you plan to do a similar release and update pattern for your next games? What do you plan to do differently?
Spinks: We will likely stick to this same model since it worked so well for Terraria. I would rather put out games that are more polished than Terraria was at the initial release.
Out of curiosity, can you talk about the addition of One-Drop YoYos to Terraria, and now the creation of a physical Terraria yoyo. That seems like an unexpected partnership, how did it come about?
Spinks: I have been throwing for years and One Drop made some of my favorite yoyos. When I went to add them to the game I thought it would be really cool to add some of the yoyos I have in real life. Once that conversation started we both thought it was a good idea to make the end game yoyo real. I am beyond excited about this partnership.
Thanks very much for your time, Andrew.
For more, check out our list of best Terraria mods.
