Yesterday, October 23, "diehard Borderlands fan" Caleb McAlpine shared that he was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 cancer this past August, with doctors estimating he has 7 - 12 months to live in the worst case and under two years even if he responds well to chemotherapy treatments. This left him unsure whether "I will be around for Borderlands 4," which is currently scheduled to launch sometime in 2025, meaning it could still be over a year away at the time of writing.
This uncertainty prompted a post from McAlpine in the Borderlands 3 Reddit community, asking if anyone "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." The post now has over 13,000 upvotes and is pinned to the sub-feed.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford was informed of the post and said on Twitter that "Caleb and I are now chatting via e-mail, and we’re going to do whatever we can to make something happen." In a Reddit reply, McAlpine added that "the online community never ceases to amaze me!!"
McAlpine's story is outlined in greater detail on his gofundme campaign, which is seeking $9,000 "for medical expenses as well as gas due to the cancer center being an hour away. I am also trying to raise funds for cost of supplies and food due to being on a strict full liquid diet for the foreseeable future." At the time of writing, the campaign has raised $2,465.
This isn't the first time the Borderlands community has rallied to aid ill fans. In 2019, a Borderlands fan named Trevor Eastman, diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and "given a year to live," was able to play Borderlands 3 early after Gearbox connected with him following a Reddit post of his own. Eastman sadly passed away that same year. Gearbox went on to create a legendary weapon called the Trevonator in his honor.
In 2011, late Borderlands fan Michael Mamaril received a tribute in Borderlands 2 after his friend Carlo contacted Gearbox to request a eulogy read by Mamaril's favorite character, Claptrap. "I'm gonna break character now," the normally flippant robot says as the mic is passed to the Gearbox team. "Carlo, everyone at Gearbox was deeply touched by your request to have our silly little robot join you in eulogizing your friend Michael. It means more to us than you'll ever know. And thanks to both of you for allowing us to become even a small part of what was clearly a very special friendship. My deepest condolences for your loss."
You'll also find an NPC named Michael Mamaril in-game in Sanctuary, and you get the "Tribute to A Vault Hunter" achievement for receiving an item from him.
