Most roller coasters let you settle into your seat and anticipate the drops ahead. X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain took that comfort away entirely. Perched on the outside of a wide wing-shaped train, riders climbed the lift hill facing backwards, then spent nearly two minutes never quite knowing whether they were facing forward, backward, skyward, or straight down toward the pavement below.
That era is now over. After almost 20 years and more than 16 million riders, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced on September 29, 2026 that X2 has been permanently retired, following a closure that began in July 2026 and a wave of lawsuits alleging serious brain injuries. Here’s the full story of what happened, plus everything that made X2 one of the most unusual coasters ever built.
Quick Answer
No, X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain is not open and will not reopen. The park permanently retired the ride on September 29, 2026, after it had been closed since July 12, 2026 following two riders’ hospitalizations and more than 100 brain-injury claims filed over the prior two years. Six Flags said X2 had consistently passed safety inspections but chose to close it to restore guest confidence.
Is X2 Open? No — It Has Been Permanently Retired
X2 closed to the public on July 12, 2026, after two riders — a 40-year-old woman on July 5 and a 25-year-old woman on July 11 — were hospitalized with severe brain injuries requiring emergency surgery. The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to both incidents, and California’s Cal/OSHA Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit opened a formal investigation, pulling the ride from operation while it reviewed.
That review never resulted in a reopening. On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, Six Flags announced it would permanently retire X2 rather than bring it back. Park president Brian Oerding said the ride had “consistently passed a multitude of safety tests,” but the company decided closing it was “the right thing to do.” The announcement followed more than 100 reported brain-injury claims tied to the ride over the prior two years, three new lawsuits filed in the weeks before the closure, and the late-August 2026 settlement of a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old who died after riding X2 in 2022.
As of this writing, Six Flags has not announced any plans to demolish the structure or build a replacement attraction on the site. If that changes, the official Six Flags Magic Mountain website will be the first place an update appears.
X2 Stats at a Glance (Historical)
Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California. Section: Baja Ridge. Type: 4th Dimension steel roller coaster. Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics. Designer: Alan Schilke.
Opened: January 12, 2002 (as X); relaunched May 24, 2008 (as X2); permanently retired September 29, 2026. Height: 175 feet. First drop: 215 feet at 88.5 degrees. Top speed: 76 mph. Track length: 3,610 feet. Inversions: 2. Trains: 3 trains, 7 cars each, 28 riders per train. Height requirement (while operating): 48 inches.
How the 4th Dimension Worked
On a conventional coaster, your seat stays aligned with the direction the train is traveling. On a 4th dimension coaster, the seats rotate forward and backward on their own independent axis — that rotation was the ‘fourth dimension’ added on top of the normal three axes of coaster motion.
The mechanism used four rails instead of the usual two: an inner pair of primary weight-bearing running rails, and an outer pair of dedicated rotation-control rails connected to the seats through a rack-and-pinion gear system. As those rotation rails shifted relative to the main track at engineered points on the course, they drove the seats to spin by a programmed amount — every flip, dive, and turn was choreographed, not a random free-spin.
The Ride Experience, Element by Element
Riders sat two across on either side of the narrow train chassis, exposed on the wings with nothing but the seat structure around them. Before the lift hill, the seats rotated to face backwards, so riders climbed 175 feet watching the queue shrink below while on-board audio built toward the crest. At the top, the seats pitched forward, locking riders nose-down for the 215-foot first drop at 88.5 degrees — just 1.5 degrees short of vertical — before the train had even begun to fall.
The drop accelerated the train to 76 mph and pulled 4Gs through the pullout. The layout continued through two raven turns, a skydive element, and a backward backflip inversion, each paired with additional seat rotations. Flame throwers fired during the outside raven turn, close enough for riders on the outer seats to feel the heat as they spun toward the flames.
Why Six Flags Pulled the Plug: Injuries, Lawsuits, and Investigation
X2’s retirement was the culmination of a legal and safety crisis that built over several years. A wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the family of Christopher Hawley, who died after riding X2 in 2022, was settled in late August 2026. Separately, more than 100 riders reported traumatic brain injuries connected to the ride over a two-year span, and attorneys representing several of them filed three additional lawsuits in the weeks leading up to the park’s decision.
The immediate trigger was the pair of July 2026 hospitalizations that forced the closure and drew in Cal/OSHA. Six Flags maintained throughout that X2 had passed every required safety inspection, framing the retirement as a response to eroded guest confidence and ongoing litigation rather than a mechanical failure found during the state’s review.
Full History: From X to X2 to Retirement
Arrow Dynamics — the company behind the first modern tubular steel coasters and the first modern looping coaster — was contracted by Six Flags Magic Mountain in the late 1990s to build a full-scale prototype 4th dimension ride. Designer Alan Schilke pushed for hypercoaster scale, and the ride opened as simply ‘X’ on January 12, 2002, becoming the world’s first 4th dimension roller coaster.
A $10 million renovation relaunched the ride as X2 on May 24, 2008, with lighter trains, a red-and-black repaint, on-board audio, and fire effects. Over the following 18 years, X2 carried more than 16 million guests and became one of the park’s signature attractions. That run ended on September 29, 2026, when Six Flags announced the permanent retirement following the July 2026 closure, the Cal/OSHA investigation, and the mounting lawsuits over alleged brain injuries.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Folds into its own pocket. Pop it on when the storm rolls in and the rides reopen to short lines.
Keeps your phone strapped to you, not in a loose-article bin. Zip it before the lift hill and walk straight off the exit ramp.
X2 Magic Mountain permanent closure FAQs
Is X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain still open?
No. Six Flags permanently retired X2 on September 29, 2026. It will not reopen.
Why did Six Flags close X2 permanently?
Six Flags closed X2 after more than 100 riders reported brain injuries over a two-year span, several lawsuits were filed (including a settled wrongful-death case), and two riders were hospitalized with brain injuries in July 2026. The park said X2 had passed its safety inspections but chose to close it to restore guest confidence.
When did X2 first close before it was retired?
X2 closed to the public on July 12, 2026, after two riders were hospitalized with severe brain injuries within a week of each other, prompting a Cal/OSHA investigation.
Will Six Flags build a new ride in X2’s place?
As of this writing, Six Flags has not announced any demolition or replacement plans for the X2 site.
How long was X2 open, and how many people rode it?
X2 operated from January 2002 (as ‘X’) through its July 2026 closure, including an 18-year run under the X2 name after its 2008 relaunch, carrying more than 16 million guests.
What made X2 unique among roller coasters?
X2 was the world’s first 4th dimension roller coaster, using independently rotating seats on a separate set of rails to spin riders forward and backward through drops and inversions, on top of the coaster’s normal motion.
Get More from X2 Magic Mountain permanent closure
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate X2 Magic Mountain permanent closure, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.