Borderlands 4 Early Look is Terminally Ill Fan's Wish

A Terminally Ill Borderlands Fan's Wish to Play Borderlands 4 Early

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Pledges Support

Caleb McAlpine, a 37-year-old Borderlands superfan battling terminal cancer, recently shared a heartfelt wish on Reddit: to experience the upcoming Borderlands 4 before his time runs out. Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in August, Caleb expressed his deep love for the series and his desire to play the new looter-shooter, slated for a 2025 release. His plea, “So I am a diehard Borderlands fan and don’t know if I will be around for Borderlands 4…Is there anyone that knows how to get in touch with Gearbox to see if there is a way to play the game early?” resonated deeply.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford responded swiftly on Twitter (X), assuring Caleb, "We will do whatever we can to make something happen," and confirming subsequent email communication.

Borderlands 4, unveiled at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, is currently targeted for a 2025 release. However, this timeframe presents a significant challenge for Caleb, whose doctors estimate he has only 7 to 12 months, possibly extending to two years with successful chemotherapy, according to his GoFundMe page.

Despite his prognosis, Caleb maintains a positive outlook, stating on his GoFundMe page, "Some days will be harder than others, and some days I will want to give up…But I just think about 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 direct the doctors to heal me so I can continue to be the loving, adorable annoying Caleb that you all know and love." His GoFundMe, aiming to raise $9,000 for medical expenses and essential needs, has already garnered $6,210 from 128 donations.

Gearbox's History of Supporting Fans

This isn't the first time Gearbox has shown remarkable compassion. In 2019, Trevor Eastman, battling esophageal, stomach, and liver cancer, received an early copy of Borderlands 3. Eastman, expressing gratitude, shared, "One of the people from 2k has been talking to me…and he's making it happen…They're flying somebody out…to give me a copy of the game." Sadly, Trevor passed away later that year, but his memory lives on through the in-game legendary weapon, the Trevonator.

Furthermore, following the passing of Borderlands fan Michael Mamaril in 2011, Gearbox honored a request from his friend Carlos to include a Claptrap tribute in Borderlands 2. They went beyond expectations, creating an NPC named after Mamaril in Sanctuary, rewarding players with high-quality items and granting the "Tribute to A Vault Hunter" achievement.

While Borderlands 4's release date remains distant, Gearbox's commitment to fulfilling McAlpine's wish and their history of supporting fans offers hope. As Pitchford stated in a Business Wire press release, "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." Further details are eagerly awaited by fans, who can add Borderlands 4 to their Steam wishlists.