Borderlands fan Caleb McAlpine, who is battling cancer, had the opportunity to try Borderlands 4 with the help of the game community and Gearbox. Read on to learn more about his inspiring experience.
Gearbox Fulfilled a Fan’s Wish
Borderlands 4 Sneak Peek
An astute Borderlands fan battling with cancer, Caleb McAlpine, got his lifelong wish to play the upcoming looter shooter game Borderlands 4. In his Reddit post on November 26, Caleb was flown to Gearbox’s studio, met the developers, and tried this much-awaited game.
Caleb described his experience with Borderlands 4. "We got to play what they have for Borderlands 4 so far and it was amazing," he shared. He also provided a brief rundown of this rare event. "So gearbox flew me and a friend down 1st class on the 20th of this month, and we got to tour the studio and meet an amazing bunch of people from some of the devs of all of the Borderlands games up to Randy, the CEO," he shared.
After this wonderful experience, he stayed with his friend at the Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star, where The Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters is also located. The hotel was welcoming to Caleb "wanted to do something nice as well and got us in on a VIP tour of the entire facility," he shared.
Though Caleb did not reveal any information about Borderlands 4, he viewed this event "as an amazing experience and it was just awesome." Moreover, he thanked the people who supported his request and showed love and support for his condition.
Caleb’s Request to Gearbox
Using the same platform, Caleb previously posted his request for assistance from the fans of the Borderlands series on October 24, 2024. He briefly explained his medical condition and stated, "I was given 7-12mo and IF chemo works to slow the progression of the cancer I still have less than 2 years."
Due to this reason, Caleb wanted to try Borderlands 4 before he passed away. "Is there anyone that knows how to get in touch with gearbox to see if there is a way to play the game early?" he asked. Though he described this request as a "long shot" wish, Caleb’s voice was heard by the Borderlands community on Reddit and beyond.
Some of them sympathized with his condition, wishing for him to get well and the opportunity to fulfill his heartfelt wish. His request spread like a wildfire as many people contacted Gearbox to convince the developer to grant his wish.
Randy Pitchford, Gearbox’s CEO, responded within the same day via a Twitter(X) post attached to Caleb’s Reddit post. "Caleb and I are now chatting via e-mail and we’re going to do whatever we can to make something happen," he shared. After roughly a month of communication, Gearbox finally granted Caleb’s request and let him access the game before its release in 2025.
There is also an ongoing GoFundMe campaign to help Caleb with his ongoing battle with cancer. Currently, he raised $12,415 USD from his GoFundMe page, going beyond the $9K mark. More people are supporting Caleb’s cause as news of playing Borderlands 4 circulated the internet.
Sources:
Caleb McAlpine’s Update on Reddit
Caleb McAlpine’s Request on Reddit
