Following weeks of cryptic messages, Six Flags Great America finally announced Thursday that it will debut a new record-breaking dive coaster at the suburban Chicago amusement park — and it will have something no other coaster in the world does. Sandra Torres reports.
When Six Flags Great America first began posting its series of teasers for a big new ride announcement last month, fans quickly feared what it could mean for the future of the park's popular coaster the Demon. Now, they know.
Nestled in the cryptic messages that first started on July 18 from Six Flags were mentions of the longtime roller coaster staple.
One caption read, "it lieS thRougH the demonS eyeS."
Fans focused in on the word choice.
"If y'all take away the Demon I'm gonna be so sad," one enthusiast replied on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another commenter wondered if it meant Demon would be undergoing a restoration, while others alluded to an unoccupied space near Demon that was formerly home to the Buccaneer Battle, a water ride where patrons riding in a boat would be sprayed by onlookers with water guns.
"Demon would be 'looking' towards the old Buccaneer Battle area," one commenter said on Facebook.
Local
Here's what we know about the newly announced "Wrath of Rakshasa" dive coaster:
What is the Wrath of Rakshasa?
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
The new ride will be the park's first ever "dive coaster" -- and it's expected to break not one, but two records.
Once built, it will be "the world's steepest drop with the most inversions on a dive coaster," the park said in a release.
The ride will be designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, the manufacturer behind Raging Bull, Batman: The Ride and X-Flight, among others.
Though the park welcomed a new attraction last month, the new ride will mark Six Flags Great America's first new roller coaster since 2019.
While the park hasn't welcomed a new roller coaster in five years, a new flat ride, Sky Striker, debuted at the park last month.
Where will the new coaster be located?
The ride will be located across from the beloved Demon ride in the County Fair section of the park.
How tall will the new coaster be?
Standing at 180 feet fall, the ride will feature a "cliffhanger hold, which suspends riders as they face straight down a 96-degree, beyond-vertical drop, before they plummet an exhilarating 171 feet."
“Wrath of Rakshasa joins our already impressive lineup of record-breaking roller coasters and attractions at the park, demonstrating our commitment to delivering cutting-edge experiences for our guests," Park President John Krajnak said in a statement.
When will the new coaster open?
The ride is slated to open in 2025, according to park officials.
What else to know about the coaster
According to Six Flags, Wrath of Rakshasa highlights include:
- Three trains with three rows of passengers seated seven across;
- 3,239 feet of track;
- Ride vehicle pauses in a face-first cliffhanger hold before
plummeting 171 feet; - A beyond-vertical 96-degree drop,
- Five gravity-defying inversions;
- Speeds of nearly 67 miles per hour
What happened before the announcement?
The announcement comes nearly one month after Six Flags began releasing several cryptic messages, teasing fans on social media with a series of unusual posts and sparking much speculation on what could be next.
It all started on July 18, when a video was shared to the park's social media accounts with the caption "Something iS coming, just wAit."
Then one week later, another six-second video clip showed the eyes of what appeared to be a predatory animal with the same #FearThe Wrath message.
That clip was captioned "it lieS thRougH the demonS eyeS."
On Aug. 1, the park posted the words "you don't wAnt to See it AngRy" to its social media channels, displaying another six-second video clip with the message #FearTheWrath.
In that instance, the clip was accompanied by what appeared to be the scratch of a claw.
Last week, a telling message was posted on the park's social media, when it shared an eight-second video quickly flashing the following words in order:
TEASE DEMON SEVEN STEEL FIVE DROP 2025, followed by #FearTheWrath message.
The caption mirrored the similar teases, reading "SometimeS it'S oKAy to wAit."
The most recent post came Wednesday, as officials revealed they would make an announcement at 11 a.m. Thursday, however, details were released earlier.
The announcement follows a merger between amusement park giants Six Flags and Cedar Fair, which created the new Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
The company teased towards new investments in both rides as well as food and beverage, with the post-merger entity operating 42 amusement and water parks across 17 states and three countries.
Similar announcements in other parks throughout the company have started to come through as well, with Kings Dominion in Virginia set to receive a launched wing coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard, while Canada's Wonderland is set to add Alpen Fury, a launched roller coaster with nine inversions, the most in North America for a coaster of its kind.
