Since February 2020, and the COVID-19 lockdowns, Desperado has been closed and not operating, but still receiving monthly maintenance checks and test runs from ride technicians.

The ride's 209-foot-tall (64 m) lift hill was the tallest in the world, second behind only the Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England that opened the same year.

[citation needed] In 2023, it was reported that the roller coaster would be part of a casino-wide refurbishment, in an effort to bring back previous guests.

[citation needed] Casino general manager Jerry West stated that the ride had been kept properly maintained and functional during the nearly three-year closure, with test runs occurring regularly.

He added that the coaster will be subject to a "sign-off process" involving legal and mechanical inspections before reopening.