Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California
X2
Permanently retired on September 29, 2026
Updated October 15, 2026, 4:10am CT
What happened
- Two riders were hospitalized with bleeding on the brain after riding X2 in July 2026: Pamela Guillen, 40, on July 5, and Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, on July 11. Both needed emergency brain surgery. ABC7 Los AngelesNBC Los Angeles
- Six Flags Magic Mountain closed X2 on the evening of July 12. It has not run since. AP
- Cal/OSHA, California's workplace safety agency, opened an inspection after the July injuries. APFox Business
- Lawsuits followed. Attorney Gary Dordick filed three more in late September against Six Flags and S&S Worldwide, and says more than 100 people have come forward with brain injuries they link to X2. NBC Los AngelesAP
- On September 29, the park said X2 is permanently retired. Its president, Brian Oerding, said the ride "consistently passed a multitude of safety tests." ABC NewsTIMEAttractions Magazine
Latest
- Cal/OSHA's inspection is still open. No findings have been published. APFox Business
- Six Flags Magic Mountain permanently retires X2 after almost 20 years. ABC NewsTIMEAttractions Magazine
- Three new lawsuits say X2 caused traumatic brain injuries. NBC Los Angeles
- A 2020 injury suit against S&S Worldwide is set for trial on August 16, 2027. ABC7 Los Angeles
- X2 closes after the second rider's injury. APABC7 Los Angeles
Status
How it’s being covered
Context and reassurance 5 points
- Six Flags says X2 "consistently passed a multitude of safety tests." ABC NewsTIMEFox Business
- In court filings, Six Flags says the ride meets the industry's ASTM standards for acceleration, loads and forces. NBC Los Angeles
- An engineer hired for the defense found X2's forces too low to cause a brain injury, and park attorneys say no part of the ride is known to have failed. ABC7 Los Angeles
- Retiring the ride is not, by itself, an admission, and no claim has been proven in court or by a regulator. Attractions Magazine
- The park says X2 carried more than 16 million riders after it reopened in 2008. Attractions Magazine
Concerns raised 7 points
- Two riders needed emergency brain surgery within six days of each other. TIMENBC Los Angeles
- One lawsuit says the park knew of the first injury and kept X2 running without warning riders. NBC Los Angeles
- The riders' attorneys say the industry tests are outdated and do not measure the twisting forces X2 produces. NBC Los Angeles
- Christopher Hawley, 22, died of blunt head trauma the day after riding X2 in 2022. Six Flags settled with his family in August. APFox Business
- A CNN investigation counted at least two deaths in the ride's history. TIME
- Brain tissue "is prone to shearing and twisting during head motion," says Lyndia Wu, who studies brain injury at the University of British Columbia. TIME
- Attorney Gary Dordick says the closure "comes too late." ABC NewsFox Business
Open questions
- What caused the injuries. No regulator has said. The park's experts and the riders' attorneys disagree.
- What Cal/OSHA found. Its inspection was still open at the last report.
- How many claims become lawsuits. Attorneys cite more than 100 people. Far fewer suits have been filed so far.
- What happens to the ride. No plan to remove or replace X2 has been announced.
Sources for this coverage
AP (via NBC News), “Six Flags Magic Mountain retires X2 roller coaster amid brain injury lawsuits”, September 30, 2026. Fox Business, “Six Flags retires X2 roller coaster after multiple lawsuits allege traumatic brain injuries”, September 30, 2026. ABC News, “X2 roller coaster shut down at Six Flags Magic Mountain amid lawsuits”, September 29, 2026. TIME, “Six Flags Closes Its X2 Roller Coaster After Brain-Injury Lawsuits”, September 29, 2026. Attractions Magazine, “Six Flags Magic Mountain pulls the plug on X2 after nearly 20 years amid lawsuits”, September 29, 2026. NBC Los Angeles, “Lawsuits allege Six Flags X2 roller coaster left riders with 'catastrophic' brain injuries”, September 23, 2026. ABC7 Los Angeles, “Six Flags Magic Mountain's X2 coaster closed after multiple allegations of severe injuries”, September 1, 2026, City News Service. Also covering: CNN, Spectrum News, The A.V. Club.
About X2: the ride as it ranSpecs, history, photos and videosShowHide
Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, CaliforniaPermanently retired
X2
Should I ride it?
It depends1
Is there a height limit?
Reasons not to2
Does it go upside down?
Afraid of heights?
Reasons not to2
It depends1
Height and drops2
Your body and the seat1
Specifications
- 3,610 ftTrack length
- 3 × 28Trains
- 1,600 /hrCapacity
- 48 inMinimum height
- ChainHow it startsPulled up by a chainLaunched
- January 12, 2002Opened1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
- Arrow DynamicsManufacturerArrowBolliger & MabillardPremier RidesRocky Mountain CoastersOthers
- Alan SchilkeDesignerAlan SchilkeIng.-Büro StengelArrow DynamicsJeff PikeRon Toomer
Planning your ride
- 48 inHeight to ride
- 1,600 /hrHow fast the line moves
Sources
History, incidents and awards: Wikipedia.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons: Jeremy Thompson (CC BY 2.0), Roller Coaster Philosophy (CC BY 2.0). Video thumbnails remain the property of their channels and link back to them.