After almost three weeks, Universal Orlando Resort has broken its silence on the extended closure of Skull Island: Reign of Kong. Rumors have swirled about the King Kong (2005) ride since late August, with the latest reports suggesting that the attraction’s iconic gorilla animatronic was damaged in a fire.Skull Island: Reign of Kong ClosureCredit: UniversalSkull Island: Reign of Kong has been closed since August 26. The Universal Islands of Adventure attraction was not listed on any refurbishment calendar, and Universal Orlando Resort did not issue a statement about the shutdown. Still, it’s not unusual for technology-heavy rides to experience extended downtime, so, at first, there wasn’t much cause for concern.As the weeks went on, rumors swirled that the three-story-tall animatronic gorilla sustained extensive damage during a fire, forcing the ride’s closure. For an attraction otherwise mostly focused on screens, some fans even speculated that the loss of the animatronic King Kong would force Universal Orlando Resort to retheme the ride rather than repair it.Skull Island: Reign of Kong opened at Universal Islands of Adventure in 2016. The gigantic King Kong animatronic at the end of the ride is over 30 feet tall and 18 feet wide, and would understandably take an extended period of time and thousands, if not millions, of dollars to repair.Universal Breaks Silence on King Kong RideCredit: Universal On Monday morning, Universal Orlando Resort addressed rumors about the animatronic King Kong in a statement to BlogMickey. In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the outlet shared that the Central Florida Universal vacation destination had confirmed that the advanced robotic figure was damaged during what the park called “routine maintenance.”UPDATE: Universal Orlando has confirmed to BlogMickey that the King Kong animatronic sustained damage during routine maintenance. A reopening timeframe has not been identifiedUPDATE: Universal Orlando has confirmed to BlogMickey that the King Kong animatronic sustained damage during routine maintenance. A reopening timeframe has not been identified https://t.co/img0G4qssJ— BlogMickey.com (@Blog_Mickey) September 14, 2026Universal Orlando Resort did not share any details about the damage, nor did it clarify whether the problems during the “routine maintenance” included a fire. The park’s full statement read:“During routine maintenance, the King Kong animatronic sustained damage and is undergoing repairs. We look forward to welcoming guests back once the work is complete.”Credit: UniversalAt this time, there is no reopening date for Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Universal Islands of Adventure, but the park appears committed to repairing the ride rather than replacing it. The Universal Orlando Resort website still does not even acknowledge the attraction’s closure.Should Universal Orlando Resort repair or replace Skull Island: Reign of Kong? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments! The post After 3 Weeks Closed, Universal Orlando Confirms Fate of ‘King Kong’ Ride appeared first on Inside the Magic.