Six Flags Magic Mountain is permanently retiring its extreme roller coaster X2 after years of legal claims and investigations linking the attraction to severe brain trauma and two deaths. The amusement park in Valencia, California, confirmed the definitive shutdown on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, ending nearly two decades of operation for the flagship ride.

Brian Oerding, president of Six Flags Magic Mountain, announced the decision through an official statement. “While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do. Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,” Oerding stated.

Follow: Planetary Kelvin wave advances toward California and threatens winter sea level rise

Technical profile and operating history of X2

• Location: Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California
• Initial drop height: 200 feet (about 61 meters)
• Maximum speed: 76 mph (about 122 km/h)
• Seat design: Independent 360-degree rotation forward and backward
• Riders served: More than 16 million guests since reopening in 2008
• Status: Operations suspended on July 12, 2026, and permanently retired on September 29, 2026

Brain trauma reports and legal settlements linked to X2

The permanent closure follows a temporary shutdown that began on Sunday, July 12, 2026, after two riders suffered major neurological emergencies within a single week. Pamela Guillen sustained a subdural hematoma and brain hemorrhage after boarding the coaster on July 5, 2026. Less than a week later, on Saturday, July 11, 2026, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson collapsed and was placed in a medically induced coma following her ride.

A broader journalistic investigation by CNN and multiple legal filings revealed that more than 100 people contacted law firms reporting traumatic head injuries or neurological damage after riding X2. Court documents show that at least two fatalities were previously linked to injuries suffered on the ride, including Hilda Farias in 2010 and 22-year-old Christopher Hawley in 2022. In August 2026, Six Flags reached a settlement with the Hawley family to resolve a wrongful death lawsuit. Following the retirement announcement, Christopher’s mother, Anne Hawley, stated: “We have tried for four years to do the best we can to spread awareness. They finally listened.”

Engineering changes and passenger lawsuits against X2

The attraction originally launched in 2002 under the name X as the world’s first fourth-dimension roller coaster, featuring seats that spun independently outside the track rails. Mechanical challenges forced an overhaul between 2007 and 2008, leading to a relaunch as X2 with lighter trains, audio installations, and pyrotechnics. Brian Oerding noted that “since X2 opened in 2008, it has welcomed more than 16 million guests and earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts. We recognize the special place X2 holds in the coaster community, and we are grateful to our team members who operated and maintained it throughout its run.”

Read also: Bruce Davis dies at 83 while serving life sentence in California

Lawsuits filed by former riders challenged the fundamental design of X2, arguing that its rapid acceleration, sudden decelerations, and erratic rotations exerted intense physical forces on the human body. The complaints alleged that these violent shifts generated continuous head impact and torn blood vessels inside the brain cavity. Six Flags Magic Mountain has not announced what ride or development will replace X2 on the cleared property.