Terraria 1.4.5 just surprised me with a major crafting upgrade that makes everyone's lives much easier

Terraria 1.4.5 is starting to feel real as the launch window closes in and Re-Logic confirms it's "made some great strides" towards finalizing its latest update. After years in the making, the team behind one of the best indie games of all time says that it's "more likely" the overhaul will land in January, but there's still a chance we could have it in our hands before the end-of-year holidays. Just as exciting for me, however, is a completely new reveal that I did not expect but am very happy about: a total transformation of the crafting UI.

The new Terraria State of the Game blog for November 2025 has just arrived, and head of business strategy Ted 'Loki' Murphy says that the team is close to the point of submitting the 1.4.5 build for checks. He explains that the timing on how long this will take is tough to estimate, and therefore a January launch "is more likely at this point unless we get lucky with faster-than-expected submissions." It's possible the Terraria 1.4.5 release date could make it for December if everything goes through quickly, but don't hold your breath.

Murphy does, however, have an excellent Terraria 1.4.5 spoiler for us. While a revamped crafting menu might not have the glitz and glamor of drivable cars, roller skates, or Palworld pets that dig for you, it's a serious quality-of-life upgrade for one of the most-used aspects of the game. Making everything from wooden platforms to armor and potions is at the very heart of Terraria's progression, yet the interface for it has always been pretty basic. But not any more.

"This new take on the crafting interface blends what has worked so well in regards to research and duplication in Journey Mode and brought it over into the mainstream crafting process," Murphy says. With a row of categorical tabs across the top along with a text search box, finding the specific items you want should be dramatically faster. It also works for the Guide's recipe menu, so you'll have a much easier time seeing what's possible to make with any material you get your hands on.

"This becomes all the more important with the changes to 'craft from nearby chests' that will arrive with Terraria 1.4.5," Murphy teases. Anything that lets me set up a series of themed storage boxes in close proximity without having to constantly shuffle between opening them to use what's inside is a win in my book. "Taking all of this together, we hope this helps everyone to be able to more quickly find and craft that one perfect item that they want," he concludes.

Turning to the current season, Murphy adds, "We always do step back and reflect at this time of year on how thankful we are for everyone in our amazing community - you truly are the engine that makes Terraria go. We are in awe of your creativity and passion around this videogame that our small team works on every day. There is so much darkness in the world today, it is refreshing to know that we can all rally around and enjoy a game of Terraria together. Here's to many more years of that to come."