Borderlands 4: Gearbox Trying To Show Game Early To Terminally Ill Fan

Self-described as a "long shot," a 37-year-old with terminal cancer asked the internet about playing Borderlands 4 early because it's unknown "if I will be around" when the game launches next year. The request did end up making its way to Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford, who's working on turning this long shot into reality.

This all started on Reddit with a post by Caleb McAlpine last week. McAlpine stated that he was "diagnosed with late stage 4 terminal cancer" and has fewer than two years to live--if chemotherapy helps slow down the spread of the illness. On X, Pitchford noted he was aware of McAlpine's status and that the two were emailing one another "to make something happen."

Now there's a chance McAlpine could see Borderlands 4 as early as next month. On Reddit, McAlpine shared an update on the situation: "Thank you everyone for your kind words, I just want to let you all know that Gearbox has something in the works, and I will be going down to Texas to meet with all of them at their HQ as long as I'm able to travel toward the middle of November, end of November."

In August, Borderlands 4 was officially announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live after months of rumors and speculation. Only a teaser video was shared of the game, though it was revealed the looter-shooter is slated to release in 2025. Pitchford also told a fan that the game has someone "far more dangerous" than Handsome Jack.

Last month, a new planet for Borderlands 4 was shown off with concept art. The game is set right after Borderlands 3 and will launch on Steam. Borderlands 3 was an Epic Games Store exclusive when it initially came out. Borderlands 4 is also planned to arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.