These include the addition of Hogwarts Legacy, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Skull and Bones and many other Ubisoft-published titles exclusively for Ultimate. Premium gains access to titles like Abiotic Factor, Against the Storm, Ara: History Untold, Diablo 4 and more, many previously available only in the Ultimate tier.

As for Essential, the lowest tier, it receives four new titles – Cities: Skylines Remastered, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Hades, and Warhammer 40,000 Darktide. All titles in the Premium and Essential tiers are playable for Ultimate subscribers.

This marks the second notable price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, with Microsoft raising prices from $16.99 to $19.99 in July 2024. Of course, this follows recent price hikes on all Xbox Series X/S hardware in the United States, which you can read more about here.

Launched in January 2024, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown focuses on Sargon as he traverses Mount Qaf in search of an important individual. Early sales were reportedly low, reaching only 300,000 players at launch and one million by October 2024. A sequel was allegedly pitched by the development team but rejected, and it has since moved on to other projects.

Regardless, The Lost Crown received strong reviews all around (check out ours here) and was even released for iOS and Android last March. As for the future of the franchise, a rogue-lite from Dead Cells developer Evil Empire, The Rogue Prince of Persia, recently left early access. Ubisoft Montreal is also working on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake for release sometime in Q1 2026.

Rumors indicate that it sold over 1.3 million copies as of January 2025. However, it’s also available on Ubisoft+ and PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium, which may have contributed to the current player count.

Interestingly, it also mentions that The Prince is “back” and “he’s just warming up.” You would think this a sequel tease, but senior producer Abdelhak Elguess confirmed that development team members have already moved on to other projects. Never say never, though, especially since The Lost Crown garnered extensive critical praise.

Ubisoft could also be referencing Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, currently scheduled for release in 2026. It promises redesigned levels and combat alongside a revamp to Farah’s character. A potential reveal or announcement in the coming months? We’ll have to wait and find out, so stay tuned.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is launching for iOS and Android on April 14, Ubisoft has announced. The game will feature new touch controls (which will be customizable) and gameplay customization options for greater gameplay comfort on mobile devices.

Players will also have access to toggles such as auto-parry, auto-potion, auto-hit, and more, while external controller support is also confirmed. Ubisoft also says the game will run “smoothly” at 60 FPS on “most recent phones and tablets.”

Check out the announce trailer below for your first look at gameplay footage. Pre-registrations are open now on iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Players will also be able to get a taste with a free trial.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is currently available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Read our review of the game through here.

Among other contemporary titles are Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation Code Fairy, Arcade Paradise, Bang-On Balls: Chronicles, You Suck at Parking, and Syberia – The World Before for PS4 and PS5. PS4 players can look forward to Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions.

As for Premium-exclusive offerings, there’s Arcade Paradise VR for PlayStation VR2. The Classics are arguably more endearing, though, as they include Armored Core 1, Armored Core: Project Phantasma, and Armored Core: Master of Arena for PS4 and PS5. Those who enjoyed Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon may want to check them out.

As for the lackluster PS4-only offerings, Sony already confirmed plans to wind down on the same, only occasionally offering them past January 2026. Head here for more details.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Re-writing the rulebook of its already wildly creative, ultra-successful predecessor Breath of the Wild was no easy task for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom but this sequel is proof that lightning can strike twice. A vertically expanded Hyrule, deeper combat, and bold additions in the shape of the new Zonai devices gave fresh power to twist and mould practically any object which takes Link’s fancy. A towering achievement on Nintendo’s aging console.

This comes from former associate marketing director Alexandre Guenounou’s profile, as spotted by X user Timur222. If true, these sales figures would lend credence to earlier rumours from back in October that indicated that the game had sold 1 million copies at the time.

Initial sales figures of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown were rumoured to have been around 300,000 copies back in January 2024. After releasing last year, the title allegedly failed to meet Ubisoft’s sales expectations, leading to Ubisoft rejecting pitches for further expansions and a potential sequel.

Ubisoft has since confirmed that the development team for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown had moved on to other projects. It wrapped up its post-launch content roadmap with the release of free updates as well as new story DLC.

“Most of the team members who worked on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have shifted to other projects that will benefit from their expertise,” said the game’s senior producer back in October. “We know players have a love for this brand, and Ubisoft is excited to bring more Prince of Persia experiences in the future.”

The only other Prince of Persia game that fans of the franchise can check out is Evil Empire’s The Rogue Prince of Persia, which is currently an Early Access title. For more details, check out our review of the title. You can also check out our review of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sold 1.3 million units in its first year pic.twitter.com/rLhi4ZXAB3

— Timur222 (@bogorad222) January 30, 2025

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Launch issues, Career Mode bugs, performance problems (more so on PC than console) – even with all that in mind, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a worthwhile new addition to the Xbox library. The sheer range of new aircraft combined with new activities in Career Mode, World Photographer – including walking outside your plane in multiple rich biomes – and additional aircraft systems offer a rich experience. And when it works, there’s nothing quite like soaring the skies and peering down all creation.

10. Final Boss –  Contra: Operation Galuga

Say what you will regarding the quality and length of Contra: Operation Galuga, but it’s definitely not lacking in difficulty. The bosses in particular are as hard-hitting as they come in the side-scrolling shoot-em-up genre. At the top of the food chain is the final boss. This antagonist appears in various incarnations throughout the Contra series, though it’s within Operation Galuga where its most horrific version yet surfaces with a design resembling a Xenomorph from the Alien films. And a giant it is, with its moving hands constituting the platforms you must shoot it from. Once you crack its skull, you must face its exposed brain whilst dodging a flurry of orbs. The battle has players frantically dodging and spraying in a truly Contra-like way, but no amount of co-op or Konami Code will ease you through this fight.

9. Sanctum Zealot – Enotria: The Last Song

Enotria was a surprisingly fun Italian soulslike this year that ended up giving us a lot of tough bosses. Boss fights within Enotria rely upon parrying skill and mastery over the clever mask switching system. Sanctum Zealot is an optional boss fight that requires all that and them some. Found near the end of the Sicilian-themed level, Falesia Magna, this helmed giant wields an ultra greatsword capable of killing characters in two to three hits. The first phase of the fight can be overcome by dodging or parrying its slow and devastating swings, but the second phase ups the ante with extra speed, elemental buffs, and ranged flurries. If you want to overcome Sanctum Zealot, it may be prudent to return later after finishing most other sections of the game first, as this masked warrior packs a punch.

8. Daigo, Saejima, And Majima – Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth

Even best friends fight sometimes, but they probably didn’t have to go as hard as they did in Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth. Chapter 12 starts with Kiryu and his old-time buddies hanging out, but of course, Yakuza have a different concept of having fun than you or I. After some of the coolest scenes in the game, a fight ensues between the group of friends. What really makes this turn-based bout difficult is managing the elemental resistances and weaknesses between the three opponents. Yes, this is technically a four on three fight, but unless you specifically hit each opponent with their weakness, there’s not much damage that can be done against the infamous trio.

7. Hive Tyrant – Space Marine 2

As the battlefield commander of the Tyranids, the Hive Tyrant isn’t one to be underestimated. Equipped with a long whip in one hand and a devastating cleaver in the other, this colossal Tyranid bioform absolutely punishes whether you keep your distance or decide to tank it up close. If you have a particularly good team, you may whittle down its health bar pretty quick…and then be shocked (literally) by the second phase and its constant wave of psychic attacks. Grenades are about the only surefire offense guaranteed to stagger the Hive Tyrant … if you haven’t already used them all on the waves of Tyranids during the fight, that is.

6. Dullahan – Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Headless Horseman is among the coolest encounters that can be had in the game, even if there’s no horse to accompany the Dullahan in this case. Wandering around at night can be costly enough in this series, but doing so in certain areas while fog is out can be downright deadly. Dullahan comes out on foggy nights and is about as hard to hit as it is to see through DD2‘s dense fog. The spectral teleportation that Dullahan employs is tough to anticipate, and worse yet, it slices at players immediately after vanishing. And you don’t want to let a Dullahan catch you on the ground since its life-draining ability damages both life and loss bars to a devastating degree.

5. Kiana The Forest Queen – Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has my favorite side-scrolling boss fights of any game since the release of Hollow Knight. Chief among those fights is the forest queen, Kiana. The fight comprises an impressive array of phases, attacks, and interesting animations, making it one of the most impressive in the game. Kiana’s three phases necessitate constant vigilance and concentration to overcome, yet never manages to feel unfair or cheap thanks to clear visual attack cues. The wolf/spear-wielder duo throws some clever combo moves at the player, such as the one-two punch of the spear throw followed by the wolf sweeping across the ground. Like other fights in The Lost Crown, Kiana makes sure players master every tool in their repertoire in order to come out on top.

4. Gallanza and Maglielle – Granblue Fantasy Relink

As one of this year’s best co-op action RPGs, Granblue Fantasy Relink is no stranger to tough boss encounters. Some of the most difficult battles occur within the many optional missions of the game – such is the case with the Gallanza/Maglielle duo fight. Players will encounter each of these commanders through the story, and individually they aren’t so tough to beat. But once you fight them in the ‘Wolf and the Veil’ Proud Quest, things get out of hand. Gallanza serves as the brutish tank with quick attacks, while Maglielle performs ranged AOE attacks from afar. The duo will occasional assail you together with devastating combo attacks as well, so it’s best to come as prepared as humanly possible before attempting to best them together.

3. Gilgamesh – Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Final Fantasy’s returning eccentric swordsman constitutes not only the most difficult fight in Rebirth, but the most rewarding and involved to unlock. Cloud and company must first obtain every Protorelic in each of the game’s six massive regions. After doing this, a new landmass opens up, aptly called Gilgamesh Island. The final dual with Gilgamesh is quite the spectacle indeed, requiring post-game leveling and a whole lot of strategy to win. If the newly arranged ‘Battle on the Big Bridge’ theme didn’t convince you that old Gilgy means business, his dozens of unique (and often hilarious) attacks and huge HP will.

2. Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master – Black Myth Wukong

In a game as focused on boss fights as Black Myth Wukong, the Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master reigns supreme as the toughest. This centipede human hybrid monstrosity is incredibly hard to dodge and deflect due to its awkward attack positions and strange hit boxes. Every movement it makes seems just a tad bit delayed, and they’re all rather unpredictable. And then there’s the second phase which adds a lightning buff to its attacks for extra measure. There is one item that makes this fight a bit easier though, and that’s the stun-inducing Weaver’s Needle. But whether or not you choose to use the special item, Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master is one of those boss fights that warrants a celebration upon defeat due to its difficulty.

1. Promised Consort Radahn – Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

You didn’t think Shadow of the Erdtree wouldn’t make it on a boss fight list, did you? Well, to no one’s surprise, Elden Ring’s challenging DLC features more than a few tough-as-nails battles, and none are more difficult than the final boss awaiting players at the end. Promised Consort Radahn uses some familiar attacks from the original Radahn fight, but a majority are enhanced by Miquella. The first phase challenges the player against a bevy of gravity-based attacks that ripple multiple times in succession. The second phase is perhaps one of the few boss moments to rival the Malenia fight in the base game. Miquella controls Radahn directly during this second phase, infusing him with deadly Holy elemental buffs and occasionally inflicting an instant death move should the player get caught. Promised Consort Radahn serves as the ultimate conclusion to the DLC, distilling Shadow of the Erdtree’s philosophy on difficulty in one crazy boss fight. No matter the build or level, you’re going to have to fight tooth and nail to even stand an ounce of a chance this Miquella/Radahn duo.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

There’s something about the second entry in Konami’s survival horror series that keeps fans coming back years and years after its launch. Perhaps it’s the Crime and Punishment-styled plot and how complex James Sunderland’s character, ego and all, is portrayed as he roams this nightmare manifest. While concerns arose over Bloober Team adapting the classic (especially given its previous horror titles), it ultimately delivered on its vision of Silent Hill 2.

Changes seemed a given, whether the over-the-shoulder camera, new attacks for enemies, a more extensive range of areas to explore or a new voice cast. However, Silent Hill 2 remake is a masterpiece in dread-inducing terror, whether you’re walking through its fog-covered streets and watching something scurry nearby or locked in a desperate battle with Pyramid Head. Several sections witnessed significant alterations but didn’t hamper the pacing or story-telling, and the presentation, especially composer Akira Yamaoka’s music, is top-notch. The restless dreams of Konami’s classic will likely continue for generations to come, but the remake offers an excellent homecoming for longtime fans.