Interview with BadKarma: The Hunt and Marathon for St. Jude

BORDERLANDS NEWS

Borderlands’ Community has Raised $423,020.07 for St. Jude!

BadKarma

What Are the Hunt and the Marathon?  

  • The Hunt is a community-organized scavenger hunt, where players race to collect rare in-game gears
  • The Marathon is a race where players play every Borderlands game back-to-back as fast as possible

How It All Began 

First Hunt Event

For Charity: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 

Behind the Scenes: Organizing The Hunt and The Marathon

Ongoing Support

The Latest Hunt Edition 

Infographic St Jude Events


Save the date: April 4th–13th

The Hunt and Marathon for St. Jude – 10/25/2024

Before we dive into the event, could you tell us a little about yourself? 

Hi, I’m Levi, but I am known online as BadKarma, or just Karma. I’m a partnered streamer on Twitch and have been creating content for 9 years, focusing mostly on looter RPGs like Destiny, Borderlands, Diablo, and Path of Exile. 

For those unfamiliar, could you explain what ‘The Hunt’ and ‘The Marathon’ are? 

‘The Hunt’ is a community-driven scavenger hunt within the Borderlands franchise, while ‘The Borderlands Marathon’ is an event aimed at celebrating the Borderlands games. Both are charity events with a focus on supporting and raising awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

How have these events started? What inspired you to start ‘The Hunt’ and ‘The Marathon’? 

I wasn’t the original creator of ‘The Hunt’—it started with Gearbox’s ‘Legendary Hunt’ event back in Borderlands 2. When they decided not to repeat the event, Ganza, a community leader, stepped up and organized his own version. He brought on influential figures like King Gothalion and Professor Broman, whose love for charity work really resonated with the community. Joltzdude139 and Ki11erSix took the mantle and raised the bar with more Borderlands 2 events and even added events for Borderlands 3!  

As for ‘The Borderlands Marathon,’ it started as a solo challenge in 2017 where I streamed all the Borderlands campaigns back-to-back, completing them in a single 48 hour stream session. It quickly became a fan favorite, and over time, I turned it into a charity event for St. Jude. 

 
How have ‘The Hunt’ and ‘The Marathon’ evolved since? Were there any major changes in format, rules or community involvement over the years? 

Ki11erSix ran several events and I joined to assist with the fundraising efforts for St Jude on Tiltify. PilotPlaysGames also joined and did a wonderful job with the artwork for the events. Together as a team we’ve refined the rules, expanded item lists, and most importantly, made it a focal point for charity fundraising. In the past four years alone, we’ve raised over $440,000 for St. Jude! What started as a competition has shifted to a community event driven by a common goal: giving back. 

For ‘The Borderlands Marathon,’ after six solo events, I decided to bring in other creators from the Borderlands community. Now, it’s a week-long charity stream with multiple creators involved, all rallying together to raise funds for St. Jude. 

Can you walk us through the process of organizing such events? What challenges do you face each year? 

Organizing ‘The Hunt’ is a massive effort. We need to finalize the rules, ensure the item list is updated, manage the website, set up the charity campaign, and keep the community informed and excited. One of our biggest yearly challenges is simply setting the date—especially for next year’s events with the uncertainty around Borderlands 4’s release. 

Luckily, I have an incredible team working with me to produce fun events. PilotPlaysGames, our creative director, handles the social media and all of the wonderful artwork; Chob and Frieza manage the website, event registration, and leaderboards; Pirek is an awesome community manager and has does an amazing job establishing our Discord server/community and also creates fun emotes for everyone to use; and SpeakingLion is a powerhouse when it comes to marketing and sponsorships. Ki11erSix may have passed the torch, but he spends a ton of time and energy helping us with these events; K6 is the perfect spokesperson for The Hunt event! He has incredible reach and is beloved among the community and makes it so easy to get others onboard. 

What’s the most surprising or memorable moment you’ve experienced during these events? 

I am always amazed at the selflessness of this Borderlands community. We set ambitious goals, and every year, this community surpasses them. To have raised over $440k for St Jude in just four years is something I’m incredibly proud of. These people work extremely hard and give up so much of their time and energy to earn the money they donate to this great cause that it is easy to see how much they care. 

Looking ahead, where do you see ‘The Hunt’ and ‘The Marathon’ going in the future? Any plans for expansion or changes? 

We’re excited for what’s coming in 2025! There are so many new ideas on the table, and while we won’t be able to execute on all of them, there’s a lot to look forward to. 

Are there any notable collaborations or contributions from the community that have really made an impact on these events? 

Absolutely. 2K and Gearbox have been supportive, and this year Beacn provided a care package for an awesome giveaway. But the real heroes are the 192 members of our fundraising team. Without them, none of this would be possible. 

How has Gearbox supported or interacted with these events over time? 

Gearbox and 2K have been long-time supporters, contributing in various ways throughout the years, even donating $25,000 directly to the campaign during one of the events! We’re always grateful for their involvement. 

What does participation look like during the events? Have you seen growth in player numbers or community engagement? 

Every year, we see more creators, more donations, and more viewers tuning in. The event continues to grow, which is amazing to witness. 

What inspired you to choose St. Jude as the charity for these events? 

St. Jude’s mission is deeply personal to me. When I was seven, a local children’s hospital saved my life. I’ve always admired St. Jude for their tireless work and global impact. Seeing creators like Professor Broman, Dr. Lupo, and Gothalion support them was the final push I needed to get involved back in 2017—and I’ve never looked back. 

Since the beginning, how much have these events raised in total for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital? 

Since 2021, the community has raised $442,727.64 for St. Jude. It’s an incredible achievement, and we’re not stopping anytime soon. 

Can you tell us more about how the funds raised impact St. Jude Hospital What does the hospital do with the money to help children in need? 

Every donation goes directly toward research, treatment, and ensuring that families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food. St. Jude shares its discoveries with hospitals worldwide, so every breakthrough helps countless children globally. 

What keeps you motivated to organize these events year after year? 

The thought of how much impact we’re making. As a father of two, I empathize with parents who just want the best for their kids. Knowing we can bring hope to families going through unimaginably tough times keeps me going. 

Do you think ‘The Hunt’ and ‘The Marathon’ are getting enough attention in the gaming community? What do you think could help them reach even more players? 

There’s always room to grow, especially when it’s for a cause as important as this. We’re constantly looking for new ways to engage more players and viewers. 

Any last words? 
FOR THE KIDS!!!