A new major patch is now available for Terraria, updating the side-scrolling sandbox to version 1.3 with new content, new features, and various improvements. An update on the Terraria website has all the details:

It has been a long road - one full of sleepless nights and tiring nights, laughter and tears, successes and setbacks - but the time has finally come for us to turn our labor of love for the past year or so over to you, our loyal fans. Terraria 1.3 touches on many aspects of the game - from re-imagined sprites and backgrounds to new features and - of course - the new content that you crave - that we truly feel it refreshes and revitalizes the entire Terraria experience. We are confident that you will enjoy what it has to offer!

Perhaps most exciting to the team are the ways in which Terraria 1.3 streamlines the multiplayer experience. Gone are the days of port-forwarding and endless IP sharing for anyone seeking to connect quickly with their friends for an ore-hunting session or to team of up that tough boss fight. We have always felt Terraria was best with a buddy (or ten) - so if you haven't yet, now is an opportune time to try out multiplayer! (Do note that dedicated servers will still need to use the standalone server software, which you can download HERE).