Ilya (Connor Storie) and Shane (Hudson Williams) speaking at a press conference in Heated Rivalry
This just in — some major news for the massive fandom of the surprise worldwide smash hit from late 2025. The Crave Original Heated Rivalry hit HBO Max in November 2025, its first season running into December, and swiftly became a verifiable cultural phenomenon.
The romance sports drama follows the years-long secret relationship between Canadian Shane Hollander and Russian Ilya Rozanov , star hockey players for their respective countries. In a new interview with LA Times, showrunner Jacob Tierney lets fans know roughly when they can expect the highly anticipated follow-up. According to Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady, Heated Rivalry's sophomore season will arrive in spring 2027, at the earliest. Teirney also seemingly affirmed that Heated Rivalry season 2 will again be six episodes long. The next season will be based on The Long Game, another book in Rachel Reid's Game Changers series. While it has been floated that the TV show could split The Long Game into two seasons, Tierney didn't say whether they would do this, but did say that he can't imagine more than six episodes per season:"I don't need to do 10. I would always rather tighten the belt than get loosey-goosey." Since the announcement of Heated Rivalry's renewal, it has been expected that it would take the show some time to return, allowing the writers to produce a season that lives up to the first."As much as I appreciate how rabid and interested people are at this point, the first season worked because I trusted my gut with this, and I'm going to do that again," Tierney also said. Tierney previously confirmed that the next installment wouldn't be ready before 2027, but the release window has narrowed. Season 1 adapts Game Changer and Heated Rivalry, the first two books in Reid's series. While Shane and Ilya are Heated Rivalry's protagonists, Scott and Kip , the main romance of the first novel, are positioned as a secondary storyline in the show. It is safe to say that Heated Rivalry will have a massive reception when it returns, given how popular the show became over just the few weeks since the first season was released. The stars have been invited to take part in everything from the Golden Globes to the Olympics, while the critical reception is fantastic as well, with the show holding a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Screen Rant Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Heated Rivalry season 1's ending sees Shane and Ilya working out a plan to change the public's perception of them — from being rivals to friends — as well as for Ilya to change teams to be closer to Shane. After an initial mishap, Shane also comes out to his parents and tells them about the relationship. The Long Game, however, shows the continued secrecy taking its toll on their romance. 26 8.8/10 Heated Rivalry 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Romance Sports Release Date November 28, 2025 Network Crave Directors Jacob Tierney Cast
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