tModLoader Release Cycle
tModLoader currently has releases mirroring Terraria 1.3 and Terraria 1.4 content. The 1.3 version will not receive any major updates anymore and the 1.4 version is updated nightly and monthly, depending on which steam branch the user is using.
1.4 tModLoader is in active development. This means that the code changes very rapidly and that backwards compatibility with earlier releases is not guaranteed. Regular users should stick to the 1.4-Stable (default) version of tModLoader.
At the start of each month, a new version of tModLoader arrives for 1.4-Stable (default) players. This version of tModLoader is the culmination of the changes from the previous month of development. On the 21st of each month, we pause updating 1.4-Preview to give modders a chance to update their mods, ensuring that their mods will work when 1.4-Stable (default) updates on the 1st of the following month. The chart below should help visualize this process:
The 1.4-Stable (default) version of tModLoader is updated at the start of each month. This is the default version that Steam users will receive. If you are using mods that are well maintained, you should not experience any issues, but be aware that each month there is a chance that mods you enjoyed previously might have been abandoned by the author. In this situation, you will have to either wait for those mods to update or disable them.
The 1.4-Preview version of tModLoader is where recent changes to tModLoader are tested before reaching 1.4-Stable (default). This version of tModLoader is where new features are tested, so things can break occasionally. Do not use this version of tModLoader for doing a normal playthrough. This version is intended for modders testing new features and players doing playtesting for those modders. Each time we add or change something in tModLoader, the 1.4-Preview version of tModLoader will update. On the 21st of each month, the 1.4-Preview version of tModLoader will stop changing, a time known as the alpha freeze period. During this time modders should update their mods and publish them if updates are needed in anticipation for the start of the next month. At the start of the next month, 1.4-Preview becomes the new 1.4-Stable (default) and all users will update.
These changes will be brought into 1.4-Stable at the start of the month.
1.3 tModLoader is currently in maintenance mode as all of our efforts are focused on 1.4 tModLoader. If Terraria updates, 1.3 tModLoader will be updated to account for new version checks to keep the game working, but no major efforts are being put into 1.3 tModLoader.