Terminally ill fan hopes to play Borderlands 4 early, Gearbox CEO vows to "make something happen"

Heart-warming: The tight-knit community around Gearbox Software's Borderlands series is once again showing its heart of gold. A fan with terminal cancer has reached out, expressing a wish to play the upcoming Borderlands 4 before time runs out – and the developers are stepping in to make it happen.

The story began when Caleb McAlpine, a self-described "diehard Borderlands fan," posted on the Borderlands 3 subreddit earlier this week. McAlpine shared that he was diagnosed with stage four cancer back in August. Doctors estimate he has between seven to 12 months left in the worst case, or up to two years with chemotherapy.

With Borderlands 4 currently set for release in 2025, McAlpine was understandably worried he might not be around to experience the highly anticipated title. His Reddit post was a heartfelt long shot, asking if anyone could help him get in touch with Gearbox to see if he could have an early chance to play the game.

"So I am a die hard 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? Long shot but thought I would try," he wrote.

The Borderlands community showed up in full force. McAlpine's post has garnered over 16,000 upvotes as of this writing and was pinned to the top of the subreddit. It quickly caught the attention of Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, who responded that he's now in direct contact with McAlpine and that they'll "do whatever we can to make something happen."

This isn't the first time the Borderlands fanbase and developers have united to fulfill a terminally ill fan's wish. Back in 2019, another stage 4 cancer patient named Trevor Eastman was able to go hands-on with Borderlands 3 before its launch. Sadly, Eastman passed away later that year, prompting Gearbox to immortalize him in the game with the legendary "Trevonator" weapon.

The series also paid tribute to a late fan, Michael Mamaril, in Borderlands 2 in 2011, after a friend reached out asking for an in-game eulogy by Mamaril's favorite character, Claptrap. Not only did Gearbox record special dialogue that broke the fourth wall, but they also named an NPC after him.

The gaming community often gets a bad rap for toxicity, but these stories are a reminder of the strong bonds that form over a shared love of games.

McAlpine has also launched a GoFundMe to help cover costs, which, at last check, had raised over $7,500 toward its $9,000 goal.