Olivia Richman 
Borderlands 4 isn’t coming out until 2025, but Gearbox flew a terminally ill fan out for a neak peek at the game.
Earlier this year, Borderlands fan Caleb McAlpine turned to Reddit to see if it was possible that he could play Borderlands 4 before he passes away from stage four terminal cancer. At the time of his request, he said he had seven to 12 months to live, maybe two years if chemotherapy slowed the progression.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford wrote on X a few months later that he was chatting with McAlpine through emails to see if something could be done. Things happened fast from there.
Sick fan test Borderlands 4 before release
On November 20th, McAlpine and one of his friends were flown first class to the Gearbox studio to meet the Borderlands 4 development team. He also was able to play the unfinished version of Borderlands 4, which he said was “amazing” so far.
“I don’t know if I will be around when the game comes out but I just want to say thank you to all of you for all of your love and support and for helping in making this happen,” McAlpine updated on Reddit. “It truly was an amazing experience and it was just awesome.”
As the story started to go viral in the gaming community, Gearbox tweeted a thanks to the Borderlands community for “rallying around Caleb.” The studio also added that McAlpine was an inspiration and that it was an honor to fly him out.
Said Pitchford: “Caleb is cool — a legit gamer who knows Borderlands inside and out. I’m glad he got a chance to play. I am praying he makes to when we are done. Thanks, internet, for signal boosting Caleb’s story.”
Fans are now wondering if McAlpine will get an easter egg in the game or even be featured as a character. Gearbox created a rare NPC representative of a deceased fan in Borderlands 2 who handed out high-tier loot. Michael Mamaril could get a spiritual successor if Gearbox goes that route in Borderlands 4.
Does Borderlands 4 have a release date?
Borderlands 4 does not have a specific release date just yet, but it will be out in 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series. Fans are speculating that it may be earlier in the year since Grand Theft Auto 6 is coming out around fall and Take-Two Interactive has stated that it won’t release the games close to each other.
