Will there be a Heated Rivalry Season 2? Everything we know so far

Following a post on X shared by HBO Max on December 12, 2025, it has been confirmed that Heated Rivalry will return for a second season. Heated Rivalry is not cancelled and has officially been renewed for another season.

The Crave/HBO Max original series is based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novel series. The show follows hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played respectively by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who are rivals-turned-intimate lovers. 

These professional ice hockey players start off as enemies. But when away from the rink, they’re something else entirely: stolen glances in locker rooms, quiet hotel rooms, and a connection that refuses to fade. The show has dominated social media and streaming platforms, which is why the creators didn’t take long enough to greenlight its next installment. 

Heated Rivalry season 1 has been concluded with its sixth and final episode released on December 26, 2025, on HBO Max for U.S. viewers. The show is a Crave original for Canadian viewers. In New Zealand, it is available to stream on Neon, while in Spain, it can be watched on MoviePlus+.

Speaking of what lies ahead in season 2, Williams teased in the promo that the show is going to be much “hotter, wetter, and longer.” This hints at more steamy gay love stories, and with a larger number of episodes, following the high demand from the first season.

When will Heated Rivalry season 2 be released? 

Jacob Tierney is set to bring another season soon, but the exact release date has not been announced yet. Viewers don’t have a timeline for when the new season will arrive. In an interview with Variety, the show’s creator mentioned that season 2 cannot come out at the same time as season 1, which was released in the November–December slot, because writing for the new season hasn’t started yet.

According to reports by Advocate, season 2 is expected to be released in early 2027. Jacob’s statement about the season 2 release date reads, 

"It can't be same time next year, because this time last year I'd written five of these, and this time this year I've written zero of them. So it's going to be a little bit later, but it's still going to be soon." 

The creator of Heated Rivalry knows how popular the show is, but he doesn’t want to rush the writing just to release it quickly and compromise the script. He said, “I don’t want to put out a rushed, bad second season just because the show is very popular.”

He further added (via Advocate), 

"We understand that everybody's goal is to not do two years between seasons. But we're very aware that our creative partners are enthusiastic and don't want to wait too long. We're getting back to work!"

Filming could likely start in July or August (2026), as Hudson Williams teased when asked about the same in an interview with Variety. 

Heated Rivalry season 2 expected plot

The upcoming season will follow the story of Rachel Reid’s final book in the Game Changers series, The Long Game. The book focuses more on Shane and Ilya’s love story. Since the duo hasn’t publicly accepted their relationship in season 1, the new season will continue from there. Although they have been keeping their romance secret, a 10-year time jump shows that things might not stay the same.

The new season could focus on them being fully accepted by their loved ones. Their secret might cause emotional strain and create tension in their relationship. The makers also hope to turn the series into a TV franchise, with new seasons being renewed one after another. However, this will depend on how successful the show will be in the coming years.

Heated Rivalry season 2 is confirmed, and the main actors (Williams and Storrie) have signed contracts for three seasons (as stated in GQ Hype). Season 3 has not been officially announced yet, but fans will likely find out when season 2 starts streaming, possibly in 2026 or 2027.