Six Flags Magic Mountain has retired X2 amid mounting lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries and deaths involving the high speed fourth-dimension wing roller coaster at the Valencia amusement park.
Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding announced on Tuesday, Sept. 29 that X2 will be permanently retired.
“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,” Oerding said in a Six Flags blog post. “Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.”
ALSO SEE: 3 lawsuits allege brain injuries on X2 coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain
X2 has welcomed 16 million riders and earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts since opening in 2008, according to Oerding.
“Our purpose is to create fun, thrills and a lifetime of memories by creating unforgettable experiences that are underpinned by comprehensive safety policies,” Oerding said in the Six Flags blog post.
Magic Mountain temporarily closed X2 on July 12 following an incident involving the coaster that is under investigation by state safety officials.
The 200-foot-tall X2 reaches a top speed of 76 mph while navigating a pair of raven turn inversions over a 3,600-foot-long track. The 360-degree rotating seats on the wing coaster extend on either side of the track.
ALSO SEE: Niles: Fixing X2 isn’t worth the risk for Six Flags and its fans
More than 100 riders on X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain allege they suffered traumatic brain injuries on the high speed fourth-dimension roller coaster, according to lawsuits and pending lawsuits by a Los Angeles law firm.
The Dordick law firm announced the filing of three lawsuits on Sept. 22 alleging catastrophic brain damage by three clients who rode X2 at the Valencia amusement park.
The Dordick law firm is representing Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, Pamela Guillen and Michael Wilk in the X2 lawsuits.
Greer-Wilkinson, 25, of Los Angeles, and Guillen, 40, of Hawaii, were both treated for severe brain hemorrhages within days of each other in July after riding X2, according to Dordick attorney Christopher Bulone.
Wilk, a 68-year-old insurance defense attorney from Calabasas, was treated for an acute brain bleed and underwent multiple surgeries after riding X2 in February, according to Bulone.
A CNN investigation found X2 was linked to two deaths and more than a dozen reports of serious injuries over two decades after a review of legal filings, depositions and medical records.
Anne and William Hawley of Garden Grove alleged in a 2024 lawsuit that the “unreasonably dangerous” X2 coaster caused their 22-year-old son Christopher’s fatal brain injury. The family settled the case with Magic Mountain and X2 trainmaker S&S Worldwide in August before the trial started, according to KTTV Fox 11 News.
Six Flags and S&S Worldwide denied liability and the settlement did not include any finding X2 was defective or the companies caused Hawley’s death, according to the Dordick law firm website.
Hilda Farias, 28, died in 2010 from a brain abnormality that ruptured allegedly because of the intensity of X2, according to the CNN investigation. A lawsuit by the family was settled for an undisclosed amount, according to CNN.
Every Six Flags ride undergoes extensive inspections by state, insurance, engineering, safety and third-party inspectors designed to meet or exceed manufacturer requirements and industry standards, according to the company website.