Six Flags Magic Mountain has permanently retired the X2 roller coaster after lawyers representing riders said more than 100 people alleged traumatic brain injuries linked to the Valencia attraction over the past two years.

Park president Brian Oerding announced the retirement on 29 September 2026, writing that the ride had passed safety tests but that guest confidence had been affected. The fourth-dimension coaster had been shut since 12 July.⁠

How a Roller Coaster Can Cause Brain Injury

The proposed mechanism involves sudden motion rather than necessarily a single blow to the head. Medical case reports have described subdural haematomas after roller-coaster rides. One proposed mechanism is that sudden acceleration and rotational forces can place stress on bridging veins between the brain and the skull.

Rapid acceleration, braking and rotation can leave the brain lagging inside the skull.⁠ Surgeons who treated two women after X2 rides in July wrote that the injuries were the result of 'a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride'.⁠ Seats rotate 360 degrees independently of the track as trains reach about 76 mph on a layout of roughly 3,600 feet with two Raven Turns, or half-loops that transition into steep drops.

Filings say riders' heads struck headrests during those changes of direction. A 2017 study recorded head movements during roller-coaster rides and used computer modelling to estimate brain displacement and deformation. It found brain-surface displacement of up to 4 millimetres, although the authors said the rides did not appear to pose an immediate risk of acute brain injury.

The ride opened as X in 2002 and reopened as X2 in 2008 after a major overhaul that included new trains. Officials say more than 16 million guests rode it.⁠

Dordick Law Corporation says more than 100 additional clients have retained the firm and allege traumatic brain injuries after riding X2 over the last two years. The park has not admitted liability.⁠

July Cases and a Wave of Claims

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Pamela Guillen collapsed after riding on 5 July and underwent emergency surgery for a severe subdural haematoma, according to medical records reviewed in reporting and later filings.⁠ Six days later Naomi Greer-Wilkinson lost consciousness after the same attraction and also required emergency neurosurgery.

Both were taken to the same Santa Clarita hospital.⁠ The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health opened an investigation after the July events.⁠ Attorneys Gary Dordick and Christopher Bulone filed lawsuits against Six Flags and S&S Worldwide, alleging design defects and inadequate warnings. ⁠

A spokesperson said the company does not comment on pending litigation.⁠ The cases follow the June 2022 death of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who died a day after riding X2; his family's wrongful-death lawsuit was settled confidentially in August 2026.

A CNN investigation documented more than a dozen reports of serious injuries and hospitalisations associated with X2 over nearly two decades, as well as two deaths. ⁠

Park Retires X2 as Lawsuits Continue

Oerding said X2 had earned a following among enthusiasts and that the park would close the ride because 'we believe it's the right thing to do'.⁠ The retirement note did not concede a design fault.⁠ Dordick has argued that retiring the ride does not resolve the claims of people who say they were already injured.

State inspectors have not issued a public finding on the July inquiry.⁠ Lawyers say further claims will be lodged in coming weeks. Six Flags continues to point to its testing record. The X2 roller coaster will not reopen.

X2's retirement leaves Six Flags Magic Mountain with 16 operating roller coasters. It is the fourth coaster the Valencia park has permanently removed in roughly three years, following Superman: Escape from Krypton, Magic Flyer and Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers.

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