Borderlands Creator and Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has pledged to do everything in his power to fulfill the heartfelt wish of Caleb McAlpine, a terminally ill fan eager to experience the upcoming Borderlands 4 before its official release.
Terminally Ill Borderlands Fan Wishes to Play Borderlands 4 Early
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Promises They’ll Do “Whatever They Can to Make Something Happen”
Caleb McAlpine, a 37-year-old passionate Borderlands enthusiast diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in August, turned to the Reddit community with a poignant request: to play Borderlands 4 before he passes. With the game slated for a 2025 release, Caleb's time is unfortunately limited. Doctors have estimated he has between 7 to 12 months left, with a maximum of two years even with successful chemotherapy.
"So I am a diehard Borderlands fan and don’t know if I will be around for Borderlands 4," McAlpine expressed. "Is there anyone that knows how to get in touch with Gearbox to see if there is a way to play the game early?"
His heartfelt plea caught the attention of Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, who responded on Twitter (X) with a promise to help make Caleb's dream a reality. Pitchford expressed gratitude for those who reached out and assured Caleb that they would "do whatever we can to make something happen." Since then, Pitchford has been in communication with Caleb via email.
Borderlands 4 was unveiled at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, with Gearbox announcing a tentative release window for 2025. However, without a specific release date, the game remains over a year away, which poses a significant challenge for Caleb.
Despite his dire circumstances, McAlpine remains optimistic. In a September update on his GoFundMe page, he shared, "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."
At the time of writing, his GoFundMe page has raised $6,210 with 128 donations, nearing his $9,000 goal. These funds are designated for his medical expenses, supplies, and other essential costs to support his battle against cancer.
Gearbox’s History of Granting Fan Wishes in Borderlands
Gearbox has a history of compassion towards fans facing serious illnesses. In May 2019, Trevor Eastman, a 27-year-old Borderlands fan battling "esophageal, stomach, and liver cancer," was granted an early copy of Borderlands 3. Eastman shared, "One of the people from 2k has been talking to me (not sure if I'm allowed to say who so I won't mention a name) and he's making it happen. 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."
Tragically, Eastman passed away in October of that year. In tribute, Gearbox named the legendary weapon, Trevonator, after him.
In another instance, following the passing of Borderlands fan Michael Mamaril at the age of 22 in 2011, his friend Carlos requested a tribute from Claptrap, Mamaril's favorite character, in Borderlands 2. Gearbox responded by creating an NPC named after Mamaril in Sanctuary, who rewards players with high-quality items and grants the "Tribute to A Vault Hunter" achievement.
Borderlands 4's release may still be on the horizon, but McAlpine and other eager Vault Hunters can take comfort in Gearbox's commitment to making the game a cherished experience. As Pitchford stated in a press release 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."
While details about these new directions are yet to be revealed, fans can add Borderlands 4 to their Steam wishlist and stay updated on the game’s release date and time by checking out our related article.
