One of America's most famous roller coasters is being retired. Six Flags Magic Mountain, north of Los Angeles, has announced it will permanently close X2, the twisting 4D coaster whose seats rotate a full 360 degrees as the ride plunges and loops. The move comes after more than 100 riders alleged the coaster caused them brain injuries, according to the BBC.
The park says X2 passed a battery of safety tests, but closure was still "the right thing to do." Park official Brian Oerding framed it as a response to shaken guest confidence rather than a confirmed technical fault. Whatever the engineering verdict, the legal pressure has been heavy: Dordick Law Corporation, which represents riders suing the park, says roughly 400 people have come forward claiming injuries from the ride. The firm describes cases ranging from emergency brain surgery to long-term recovery struggles, and while it welcomed the closure, it called the decision too late for its clients.
There is a death tied to the ride's history too. Attorney Brent Wisner of Wisner Baum, representing the family of Christopher Hawley — a 22-year-old who died in 2022 after riding X2 — said the family welcomed the shutdown but pointed out the coaster operated for nearly two decades after the fatality. The family settled a wrongful-death suit with the park in August, and Wisner is now pushing for legal reforms and stronger oversight of amusement rides.
X2's record is long and complicated. It opened in 2002 as "X", shut within months to fix design flaws, then closed again in 2007 for lighter ride vehicles before relaunching in 2008 as X2. More than 16 million people have ridden it since. That popularity is exactly why the story matters to anyone planning a theme park trip: headline coasters draw crowds, but this case shows how quickly a signature ride can disappear — and why riders with health concerns may want to think twice about high-g-force attractions. Watch for the park's replacement plans if Magic Mountain is on your California itinerary.
