Six Flags has acquired ArieForce One, the acclaimed Rocky Mountain Construction coaster formerly operated at Fun Spot America Atlanta in Fayetteville, Georgia. The company says the ride will be relocated to an as-yet-unannounced Six Flags park and reintroduced during the 2028 or 2029 season.
Fun Spot America remains active in Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida, while Six Flags now controls the former Georgia park’s signature attraction. That makes this less a literal move into Orlando than a notable piece of competitive territory changing hands: one of Fun Spot’s biggest coaster investments is becoming a Six Flags ride.
Six Flags Acquires ArieForce One After Fun Spot Atlanta Closes
Six Flags confirmed that ArieForce One has “officially joined the Six Flags family,” ending months of uncertainty over whether the coaster would survive the closure of Fun Spot America Atlanta. The Fayetteville park permanently closed after its final operating day on August 2, 2026, while Fun Spot’s Orlando and Kissimmee parks remain open.
Inside the Magic covered the Atlanta park’s approaching shutdown as its final operating window narrowed. ArieForce One’s future was one of the biggest unresolved questions because the coaster was both relatively new and unusually prominent for the smaller park.
Six Flags has now answered the most important part of that question. The coaster will survive, retain the ArieForce One name, and reopen in either 2028 or 2029. What the company has not revealed is which park will receive it.
Why ArieForce One Is Such a Significant Pickup
ArieForce One opened at Fun Spot America Atlanta in 2023 as a custom steel coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction. Fun Spot’s original announcement described a 3,400-foot layout, speeds of up to 64 mph and four inversions, including a Raven Truss Dive and a large zero-G stall.
Its reputation followed quickly. ArieForce One placed No. 25 among steel coasters in Amusement Today’s 2023 Golden Ticket Awards and climbed to No. 17 in 2024. Its fate consequently drew attention beyond Georgia after the park’s closure.
The ride was also a deeply branded Fun Spot project. Six Flags says it was named in honor of Fun Spot America founder John Arie Sr., and CEO John Arie Jr. described seeing the coaster preserved and finding a new home as meaningful to his family.
That history makes the acquisition more striking than a routine used-ride purchase. Six Flags is taking ownership of an attraction whose name remains directly connected to the family behind another theme park operator.
The Orlando Connection Is Real — but Indirect
There is an important geographic distinction. ArieForce One did not operate in Orlando. Its former home was Fun Spot America Atlanta in Fayetteville, Georgia, and Six Flags has not announced that the coaster is moving to Florida.
The Orlando connection comes through Fun Spot America itself. After closing Atlanta, the company directed guests toward its two remaining Florida parks in Orlando and Kissimmee. Inside the Magic has previously examined Fun Spot’s place in Central Florida’s crowded attraction market, where smaller operators compete for attention alongside Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando.
Calling the deal an “Orlando coaster war” therefore requires restraint. Six Flags has acquired a marquee asset from an Orlando-based competitor’s former Georgia operation, but there is no confirmed Six Flags expansion into Orlando attached to this announcement.
A coaster built to elevate Fun Spot’s profile will eventually fly the banner of a much larger regional amusement-park network.
ArieForce One Joins a Six Flags System Still Changing
The acquisition lands during a broader period of change for Six Flags. The modern Six Flags Entertainment Corporation emerged from the 2024 combination of Six Flags and Cedar Fair, bringing a large portfolio of regional amusement parks under one corporate structure. Inside the Magic covered the Six Flags-Cedar Fair combination as it moved toward completion.
Inside the Magic has also tracked the company’s post-merger changes, including leadership restructuring across major Six Flags parks and the more recent decision to relocate its corporate headquarters. ArieForce One gives the operator another recognizable thrill ride to deploy somewhere in that network.
Six Flags Chief Operating Officer Mark Pauls said the company wants to “preserve its legacy, invest in its future” and introduce the attraction to a new generation of guests. Six Flags has not detailed the acquisition cost, relocation expense, site preparation or modifications that could accompany the rebuild.
Where Will Six Flags Put ArieForce One?
Six Flags is inviting predictions about ArieForce One’s next home, but speculation should not be confused with a park announcement. No destination has been confirmed.
Its former Georgia location naturally makes Six Flags Over Georgia an obvious park for fans to discuss, but there is no official evidence that the Austell park will receive it. The same caution applies to every other Six Flags property until the company identifies a destination.
For coaster fans, the timeline requires patience. ArieForce One will not return immediately: Six Flags is targeting the 2028 or 2029 season, leaving at least one full season before its announced return window begins.
The next consequential announcement will be the park selection, followed eventually by relocation and reopening details. Until then, the confirmed story is substantial: Fun Spot America Atlanta is gone, its signature RMC coaster has been saved, and one of Fun Spot’s most recognizable thrill rides now belongs to Six Flags.
