The ride had been closed since July 12 and is now shut down for good, according to a statement from Six Flags Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding posted on the Six Flags blog. X2 is the subject of multiple lawsuits, though Oerding said the coaster "consistently passed a multitude of safety tests."
Oerding framed the closure as a matter of trust rather than mechanical failure. "Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously," he said in the statement.
For regulars at Magic Mountain, it means one of the park's signature attractions is gone, even though the company says nothing was technically wrong with it. Riders who built a two-decade habit of lining up for X2 now have to find a new favorite. The park now has to figure out what replaces nearly 20 years of history on that stretch of the midway.
The decision shows how litigation and public perception can shut down a ride that passed every safety check thrown at it. Passing every test, it turns out, doesn't always mean passing the court of public opinion.