they didnt stop the last 500 times they said they are going to stop, but now they 100% will

Yeah but they backed away from a Terraria 2.

They'll never stop

I will say that, while the other comment comparing it to Minecraft isn't wrong to do so, you shouldn't go in expecting some 1:1, 2D Minecraft experience. Because while they have plenty of similar features, the core of each game is quite different. Minecraft for example is primarily a sandbox game, with lite survival elements sprinkled in. You're mostly just there to build and farm and do whatever the hell you want, and the game doesn't differ greatly between peaceful and hard. Terraria on the other hand is primarily an action game with some survival elements. Sure, you can build huge, beautiful cathedrals if you'd like, but unlike Minecraft that's not really where the game shines at all. Terraria instead shines in it's exploration (especially when you're new to the game) and combat.

Edit: Oh also, unlike Minecraft, world difficulties change things drastically. Difficulty isn't just a damage and health slider for enemies, instead it also modifies general enemy AI (in honestly annoying ways sometimes - looking at you lava slimes), and bosses all get major changes including new attack patterns. I'd stick with classic or journey mode at first, even if you normally tend to try harder difficulties when playing new games.

It's not too big if you only focus on getting to the end boss and end-game weapons/gear. I think they also don't want to go past the end boss anymore. This update for example adds a lot of QoL and other fun content you can do on the side.

And with the wiki it's pretty easy to figure everything out.

It's Minecraft on a 2D plane with a heavier focus on combat and survival. There's not much of a story. It's up to you to go as far as you want too. The progression is basically learn the systems. Learn how to survive above ground. Learn how to survive below ground. Start collecting gear. Start challenging bosses. It's pretty easy to get into. The real challenge is in the bosses. You need to think outside the box early on because you're not just wacking a boss to death like you will the normal mobs. Mobility and verticality are key.

It's not Elden Rings level of difficulty. It's like a harder Minecraft survival mode. There's a lot to do and it's not hidden from you. In Minecraft because you're in first person view and there's stuff all around you, you can miss a lot. And the crafting system is similar too. You don't know what you're getting until you put the ingredients together. With Terraria you can see everything because it's all on one plane. So you're not playing a guessing game. Crafting is the same way. Once you discover gold ore you know all the things you can make with gold now. So discovery isn't a hey I found this let me search for more in hopes I can make an item. Its more of I know exactly where I can find some ore that corresponds to the item I want because I discovered it at this depth and I need exactly this much to make that item I want. Does that make sense? The real sense of discovery comes from there being so much to craft.

You have it. Try it. IMO it's one of the best video games ever made. It has a bit of everything. Survival. Crafting. Metroidvania aspects. Platforming. It looks great and sounds even better. It's one of a handful of game I ever put more than 100 hours into as an adult. It basically got me through college. I still pick it up every once and a while to let my mind veg while I listen to music and fight mobs while I build a pretty base.