Key Takeaways
- Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford reached out to a terminally ill fan who is hoping to play Borderlands 4 early.
- A GoFundMe for the fan’s medical expenses has raised over $6,200 out of its $9,000 goal.
- The Borderlands 4 trailer has revealed a new antagonist more dangerous than Handsome Jack.
Gearbox Entertainment president and CEO Randy Pitchford, with some help from the online community, was able to personally reach out to a terminally ill gamer who wishes to play Borderlands 4 early. Borderlands 4 is set to release sometime in 2025, according to a trailer that was unveiled to the public at this year’s Gamescom.
In a recent post on the Borderlands 3 subreddit, Caleb McAlpine, a self-described diehard fan of the popular looter shooter franchise, revealed that they were diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer in August. The 37-year-old disabled veteran, who goes by the username Cjmac87 on Reddit, explained that they had, at most, less than two years left to live even with successful chemotherapy.
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Pitchford announced in a tweet that he is now looking into making something happen for McAlpine after the latter asked if they could play Borderlands 4 ahead of its official release. According to McAlpine’s follow-up posts on Reddit, Pitchford personally reached out and even said that he would try to get the terminally ill gamer some action with the next entry in the Borderlands series. Both Pitchford and McAlpine thanked the community for making such an exchange possible. “Thank you. The amount of support has been astounding. And just unbelievable to be honest,” McAlpine wrote in a comment to their original post.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Reaches Out to Terminally Ill Borderlands Fan
A GoFundMe seeking to help pay for McAlpine’s medical expenses and supplies has raised more than $6,200 out of its $9,000 goal at the time of writing. McAlpine has stage 4 colorectal and liver cancer, according to the page. The disabled veteran has gone through four chemotherapy sessions and is set to undergo their fifth one.
Aside from the Gamescom announcement trailer, Gearbox Software has also released concept art for the next Borderlands title. Not much is known about the game, but Pitchford has confirmed that the primary antagonist for Borderlands 4 will not be Handsome Jack. Considered by many to be one of the best characters in the entire franchise, Handsome Jack was the main villain in the series’ critically acclaimed second major installment and he also appeared in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel from 2014. According to Pitchford, the character featured in the Borderlands 4 trailer will end up being more dangerous and sinister than Handsome Jack.
Borderlands 4 was revealed following the release of the Lionsgate Films adaptation in August. While Pitchford said he would have made different choices for the poorly received Borderlands film, the Gearbox Entertainment head executive claimed that it was still fun to watch.
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Looter Shooter
Action
Adventure
RPG
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Released
- 2025
