Category: Video Games

A terminally-ill Borderlands fan recently visited developer Gearbox to play Borderlands 4 early after his story went viral.

In October, 37-year-old Caleb McAlpine took to the Borderlands 3 subreddit to reveal his late stage four terminal cancer diagnosis after being given seven to 12 months left to live, or less than two years if chemotherapy slows the progression of the cancer.

“So I am a die hard Borderlands fan and don’t know if I will be around for Borderlands 4,” McAlpine said. “Is there anyone that 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.

“Thanks for your help.”

After McAlpine’s post went viral with over 19,000 upvotes on Reddit alone, Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford chimed in to say the studio would do everything it could “to make something happen.” Thankfully, last week McAlpine was able to visit Gearbox’s Texas headquarters to play Borderlands 4.

“Caleb is cool – a legit gamer who knows Borderlands inside and out,” Pitchford tweeted. “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.”

“We’re deeply thankful to the Borderlands community for rallying around Caleb after he shared his story several weeks ago,” Gearbox added. “His courage, strength, and determination are an inspiration to us all. Our team was honored to host him last week at our studio.”

McAlpine himself returned to the Borderlands 3 subreddit to post pictures of his Gearbox visit and reveal what had happened.

“So Gearbox flew me and a friend down 1st class the 20th of this month and we got to tour the studio and meet an amazing bunch of people from some of the devs of all of the Borderlands games up to Randy the CEO,” McAlpine posted.

“We got to play what they have for Borderlands 4 so far and it was amazing. 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. It truly was an amazing experience and it was just awesome.

“We stayed at the Omni at the Star (the Dallas Cowboys headquarters) and the hotel wanted to do something nice as well and got us in on a VIP tour of the entire facility. Needless to say me being a Lions fan I got to talk a lot of smack lol.

“Thank you everyone.”

Borderlands 4 is due out at some point in 2025.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

A terminally-ill Borderlands fan recently visited developer Gearbox to play Borderlands 4 early after his story went viral.

In October, 37-year-old Caleb McAlpine took to the Borderlands 3 subreddit to reveal his late stage four terminal cancer diagnosis after being given seven to 12 months left to live, or less than two years if chemotherapy slows the progression of the cancer.

“So I am a die hard Borderlands fan and don’t know if I will be around for Borderlands 4,” McAlpine said. “Is there anyone that 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.

“Thanks for your help.”

After McAlpine’s post went viral with over 19,000 upvotes on Reddit alone, Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford chimed in to say the studio would do everything it could “to make something happen.” Thankfully, last week McAlpine was able to visit Gearbox’s Texas headquarters to play Borderlands 4.

“Caleb is cool – a legit gamer who knows Borderlands inside and out,” Pitchford tweeted. “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.”

“We’re deeply thankful to the Borderlands community for rallying around Caleb after he shared his story several weeks ago,” Gearbox added. “His courage, strength, and determination are an inspiration to us all. Our team was honored to host him last week at our studio.”

McAlpine himself returned to the Borderlands 3 subreddit to post pictures of his Gearbox visit and reveal what had happened.

“So Gearbox flew me and a friend down 1st class the 20th of this month and we got to tour the studio and meet an amazing bunch of people from some of the devs of all of the Borderlands games up to Randy the CEO,” McAlpine posted.

“We got to play what they have for Borderlands 4 so far and it was amazing. 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. It truly was an amazing experience and it was just awesome.

“We stayed at the Omni at the Star (the Dallas Cowboys headquarters) and the hotel wanted to do something nice as well and got us in on a VIP tour of the entire facility. Needless to say me being a Lions fan I got to talk a lot of smack lol.

“Thank you everyone.”

Borderlands 4 is due out at some point in 2025.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Black Friday is like a bonus holiday for Pokémon TCG fans. We’re talking about deck building, chasing rare cards, or just stockpiling boosters for a rainy day. This year’s Black Friday deals are stacked with good finds. From big boxes packed with collectibles to pre-built decks ready for action, we’ve combed through the Electro-Web (thank you) to highlight the best ones. Let’s get into it!

Pokémon TCG: Premium / Ex Boxes

Premium and Ex boxes take things up a notch with exclusive cards, collectible figures, and extra booster packs to sweeten the deal. Highlights this year include the Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates ex Premium Collection, which combines great gameplay with collector appeal, and one more standout box featuring a familiar fire starter.

Pokémon TCG: Big Boxes

Big boxes are a mix of everything we love about Pokémon TCG, which includes promo cards, booster packs, and fun extras. They’re perfect for new players looking to dive in or seasoned collectors adding another prize to their shelf. This year’s lineup has options like the Scarlet & Violet Build & Battle Stadiums, which focus on competitive play, and the Pokémon TCG Classic, a sleek, display-worthy set for serious fans.

Highlight: Charizard ex Super Premium Collection

If Charizard isn’t already the king of your collection, this box might make it happen. Inside, you’ll find a foil promo Charizard ex card, 10 booster packs, and a code for Pokémon TCG Live. But the star of the show? A Charizard figure that looks straight out of an action scene, complete with translucent flames and a slot to display your favorite card. It’s flashy, fun, and kind of a no-brainer if you love this fire-breathing icon (fine, fire/flying).

Pokémon TCG: Booster Packs, Boxes and Tins

There’s something undeniably satisfying about tearing open a booster pack to see what pulls are inside. This year’s Black Friday lineup includes crowd-pleasers like the Scarlet & Violet — Paldea Evolved Booster Display Box and even themed packs like the Trick or Trade BOOster Bundle. Chasing rare pulls or bolstering your deck? This is the time to stock up.

Pokémon TCG: Elite Trainer Boxes

Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs) are like survival kits for Pokémon players. They include booster packs, dice, markers, and even themed card sleeves to keep your setup looking sharp. The Scarlet & Violet series continues to deliver with options like the Temporal Forces and Stellar Crown ETBs. These are great for anyone who plays, collects, or likes having everything in one tidy box.

Highlight: Scarlet & Violet Stellar Crown Elite Trainer Box

The Stellar Crown Elite Trainer Box might be the MVP of this year’s ETBs. It packs nine booster packs, a full-art foil Noctowl promo card, and 65-themed sleeves featuring Terapagos in all its glory. Add dice, markers, and a collector’s box, and you’re set for both battles and showing off your collection. It’s practical, but it still brings plenty of flash.

Pokémon TCG: Pre-Built Decks

Pre-built decks are the ultimate convenience for players who don’t want to spend hours fine-tuning their strategy. This year’s options include everything from beginner-friendly sets like My First Battle to the Chien-Pao ex and Kangaskhan ex Battle Decks for competitive players. If you’re ready to shuffle up and go, these are calling your name.

Best Nintendo Switch Game Black Friday Deals

There are plenty of Nintendo Switch digital game deals to consider, especially if you’re picking up a console too. The current best offers include Persona 5 Royal for $14.99 , alongside new games like Sonic x Shadow Generations for $37.49 or last years GOTY contender The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for $49.99, and plenty more. Have a look over our top picks in the sale, or take up the challenge yourself and have a gander over the many, many discounts found at Best Buy right now.

When Is Black Friday 2024?

We’re in the home stretch: Black Friday falls on November 29 this year. All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. We already know what PlayStation and Xbox have in store, and most general deals will be available well in advance.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

Bloodborne announced a surprise server maintenance that coincides with PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, and it’s fair to say fans are struggling to cope with what it all means.

FromSoftware’s much-loved action game launched on PS4 in 2015 and has never received an official next-gen update for PS5, or even a hint at a PS5 remake or PC release. Fans desperate for an announcement from Sony have so far fed on scraps from director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who is asked about the prospect of more Bloodborne pretty much every time he’s interviewed by press.

Indeed, in February, ahead of the launch of FromSoftware’s Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree, Miyazaki said that because the developer doesn’t own the Bloodborne IP he couldn’t speak about its future. He did, however, admit Bloodborne would benefit from releasing on more modern hardware.

Even the release of the PS5 Pro brought little cheer to Bloodborne fans, who have reported that Sony’s $700 mid-gen console upgrade barely improves the game at all.

Now, fans have the surprise in-game server maintenance notice, which just so happens to coincide with PlayStation’s 30th birthday on December 3. Why would Bloodborne undergo server maintenance now, nearly a decade after its launch? And why would it fall on PlayStation’s 30th birthday, which Sony is already celebrating with a number of initiatives?

Fans are debating this now, but amid the frenzy of speculation there are messages of caution. “Friendly reminder that they’ve periodically done server maintenance before and that’s exactly what it’s always been: server maintenance,” warned redditor amygdalapls. “Not a new patch, not an update, not anything along those lines.

“I do wish it was more but alas. Brace for disappointment!”

Indeed, Bloodborne server maintenance seems designed to coincide with potentially big announcement events, just to mess with fans. In 2022, Bloodborne underwent server maintenance on the same day as that year’s The Game Awards, sparking a similar cacophony of speculation and excitement we’re seeing today. Then… nothing.

What does add a dash of spice to the debate this time around is Sony’s confirmed attempt to buy FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa as part of a deal that could be confirmed imminently. That acquisition, should it go through, sparks all sorts of questions of its own, including whether Sony would seek to make FromSoftware’s future games PlayStation exclusive.

For now, though, it seems more Bloodborne disappointment is on the cards, and the wait for that elusive 60 frames per second next-gen upgrade will continue — perhaps forever.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.