Borderlands 4: Terminally Ill Fan's Wish Granted

Borderlands Creator and Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford pledged to do all he could to grant terminally ill Borderlands fan Caleb McAlpine's wish to play the forthcoming Borderlands 4 early.

Terminally Ill Borderlands Fan Desires Early Access to Borderlands 4Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Vows to "Do Whatever They Can"

Caleb McAlpine, a 37-year-old Borderlands enthusiast facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, contacted the community on Reddit with a deeply moving request: He yearned to experience Borderlands 4 before his passing. Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in August, Caleb expressed his ardent affection for the Borderlands series and his desire to play the upcoming looter-shooter, slated for a 2025 release.

"I'm a devoted Borderlands fan and unsure if I'll live to see Borderlands 4," said McAlpine. "Can anyone help me contact Gearbox to explore the possibility of early access?"

His poignant appeal didn't go unnoticed by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, who responded on Twitter (X) with a commitment to help realize Caleb’s dream. In his tweet, Pitchford thanked those who contacted him and reassured Caleb that they would "do everything possible to make it happen." Since then, Pitchford stated they have been "exchanging emails."

Borderlands 4 was revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, with Gearbox declaring a tentative launch window for 2025. However, lacking a precise release date, the game remains more than a year off, absent unforeseen development setbacks.

Caleb McAlpine, sadly, lacks the benefit of time. According to his GoFundMe page, the 37-year-old received a diagnosis of stage 4 colon and liver cancer. In his Reddit post, he stated that physicians predict he has only 7 to 12 months left, with a maximum of two years even with successful chemotherapy.

Despite this, McAlpine strives to stay positive. "Some days will be tougher than others, and some days I will want to quit," said McAlpine in a GoFundMe page update last September. "But I just reflect on Job from the Bible and how everything was taken from him, but he never lost his faith. And that’s what I have, faith that God will guide the doctors to cure me so I can continue to be the loving, adorable, bothersome Caleb that you all know and love."

Currently, his GoFundMe page has collected $6,210 with 128 donations, a few thousand dollars short of his $9,000 objective. The raised funds will cover his medical expenses, supplies, and other vital costs to assist his fight against cancer.

Gearbox’s Record of Fulfilling Fan Requests in Borderlands

This isn’t the first time Gearbox has shown kindness towards unwell fans. In May of 2019, then 27-year-old Trevor Eastman, a Borderlands fan who battled "esophageal, stomach, and liver cancer," received an advance copy of Borderlands 3.

"One of the people from 2k has been communicating with me (not sure if I'm allowed to say who so I won't mention a name) and he's making it happen," said Eastman. "They're flying somebody out at the beginning of June most likely to give me a copy of the game. I just wanted to thank you all so much for helping make this dream come true. It means the world to me that you all cared enough to do that for me."

Sadly, Eastman passed away in October of that same year. In tribute, Gearbox named the legendary weapon, Trevonator, after him.

In 2011, following the demise of Borderlands fan Michael Mamaril at the age of 22, his friend Carlos made a request to Gearbox. Carlos asked that the developers incorporate a tribute from Claptrap, Mamaril's favorite character, in Borderlands 2.

In response, Gearbox not only fulfilled this request but also exceeded expectations. They created an NPC named after Mamaril, who can be found in Sanctuary. This amicable NPC will generously reward fellow Vault Hunters with random high-quality items. Receiving one of these items from Mamaril will earn players the special "Tribute to A Vault Hunter" achievement.

Borderlands 4’s release date may still be far off, but McAlpine and other enthusiastic Vault Hunters can take comfort in the fact that Gearbox pledged to leave no stone unturned to ensure it’s a game that they will treasure. As Pitchford stated in a press release with Business Wire after the game’s announcement, "All of us at Gearbox have massive ambitions for Borderlands 4 and are putting everything we have into making everything we love about Borderlands better than ever before while taking the game to new levels in exciting new directions."

As to what these directions involve, fans will simply need to await further details. In the meantime, players can add Borderlands 4 to their Steam wishlist and stay updated about the game’s release date and time by checking out our article below.