Six Flags over Texas made things official yesterday by announcing Tormenta Rampaging Run as the multi-record breaking new-for-2026 ride. Much of the announcement lined up with what had been gathered through FAA and trademark filings, but it ultimately revealed the ride would break no fewer than 6 world records, including being the tallest and fastest dive coaster. The layout also shows several unique elements not seen before on dive coasters.
Tormenta Rampaging Run Infographic
-
Train going through the massive first immelmann
-
Train in the first drop's holding brake
-
Rendering of Tormenta's record-breaking drop
Tormenta’s train on the first drop’s holding brake
Six Flags over Texas kindly extended an invitation for us to the unveiling event, where we recorded the full presentation and had a chance to speak with B&M liaison Jonathan Smith, Six Flags Corporate Creative Producer Clayton Lawrence, and Regional General Manager Jeffrey Siebert about the new ride and other park enhancements. Check out our video below for insight into how this project came to be.
Following the event, we were also invited to take a construction site tour to check out the ride’s progress. Just days prior to the event, Tormenta officially went vertical, with station supports installed. During our tour, construction crews were hard at work operating pile drivers that drilled deep into the ground to then pour pilings and support footers. We were told the deepest piles go down 75 feet into the ground. It takes a lot of concrete to support a 309-foot tall ride.
-
Pile drivers drilling deep into the ground (up to 75 ft) for piles and footers
-
Construction site/former preferred parking lot
-
Behind the construction barrier, Spain looks like this
Many other footers appeared complete, ready for more supports to be installed. Conquistador is still standing, despite the recent announcement that the ride will ultimately be closing. The park clearly had every intention to keep the classic swinging ship ride, with it being preserved despite the surrounding construction and even being included in Tormenta’s ride renderings. We did not get specifics on the change of direction, but the impression we got was that the park later discovered the ride had reached the end of its functional life.
-
Supports installed with station supports in the background
-
Tormenta construction site with Conquistador in the background
-
Conquistador before its imminent removal
But the record-breaking dive coaster is not the only new addition for 2026. The park also announced Cocina Abuela, a new restaurant will feature a rotating menu of Spanish and Latin cuisine, within the completely reimagined Spain area. Check out the impressive renderings of the themed restaurant at this timestamp in our video.
The newly-announced Cocina Abuela restaurant will be located near the fence here
The park has also started selling Tormenta merchandise, with more to surely come in the months leading up to the ride’s opening.
-
Various merchandise for Tormenta
-
Tormenta stickers and magnets
While the ride announcement was exciting and statistics impressive, what stood out more to us were our conversations with park representatives that drove the point that Six Flags over Texas is undergoing a “golden renaissance.” New leadership teams have obviously acknowledged the TLC the original Six Flags park has needed but not received in recent years, resulting in a flurry of projects big and small to improve the guest experience for generations to come.
We appreciate the park inviting us out to this event to finally learn the details of such a huge new ride, and what appears will demarcate a new golden era of Six Flags over Texas. As always, we will follow the construction of Tormenta on its New for 2026 page as well as all the other changes that are happening throughout the park on seemingly constant basis. Be sure to also visit our Fright Fest and Oktoberfest pages for details on these ongoing fall events.
Reader Comments
0 Comments