In 2011, a 52-year-old man was struck by a flying object. His right eyeball was severely damaged, so it had to be removed. As a result, Universal permanently turned off the dueling feature, the ride's signature element, and took extensive measures to ensure the trains would not duel.

Universal Orlando removed Dueling Dragons (later renamed Dragon Challenge) in 2017 to make way for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There were several reasons for the closure: primarily, the ride had reached the end of its intended "service life," and the structural maintenance required for two massive interlocking inverted coasters was becoming prohibitively expensive. More importantly, the ride's "dueling" feature—where the two trains would launch simultaneously and have three "near-miss" encounters—was permanently disabled in 2011 following two separate incidents where riders were struck by loose objects (like coins or phones) launched from the opposing train. Without the dueling aspect, the ride lost its unique selling point. Universal decided that a highly themed, "story-coaster" like Hagrid’s would better fit the modern guest's demand for immersive experiences rather than the high-thrill, low-theming nature of the original 1999 coasters.