“Borderlands enthusiast” Caleb McAlpine revealed that he was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer last August. Doctors estimate he has 7 to 12 months to live at worst, and less than two years, even if he responds well to chemotherapy. This uncertainty has left him wondering if he will be alive to see the release of Borderlands 4 , which is scheduled for 2025.
This situation led him to post a thread in the Borderlands 3 community on Reddit, asking if anyone knows how to contact Gearbox to see if there is a way to play the game earlier. His post gathered over 13,000 votes and is pinned at the top of the community.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford was notified of the post and tweeted that “Caleb and I are now talking via email and will do what we can to make something happen.” In a response on Reddit, McAlpine expressed his delight, saying, “The online community never ceases to amaze me ! ”
McAlpine's story is further detailed in his GoFundMe, which aims to raise $9,000 for medical expenses and fuel, due to the distance to the cancer center, which is an hour away. He is also seeking money for supplies and food, as he is on a strict all-liquid diet. So far, the campaign has raised $2,465.
This isn't the first time the Borderlands community has come together to help sick fans. In 2019, Trevor Eastman, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, was able to play Borderlands 3 early after Gearbox reached out to him after a Reddit post. Sadly, Eastman passed away that same year, and Gearbox created a legendary weapon, the Trevonator, in his honor.
Also, in 2011, the late Borderlands fan, Michael Mamaril, received a tribute in Borderlands 2, after his friend, Carlo, asked Gearbox to have an epitaph read from his favorite character, Claptrap. “I will go out of character now,” Claptrap said as the microphone was handed over to the Gearbox team. “Carlo, we at Gearbox were deeply moved by your request. It means more to us than you can imagine.”
In the game, you can also find an NPC named Michael Mamaril in the Sanctuary, and earn the achievement “Tribute to A Vault Hunter” for interacting with him.
The story of Caleb McAlpine and the Borderlands community’s reaction show the power of solidarity and support in difficult times.
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