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Good news has arrived forHeated Rivalryfans. The steamy HBO Max and Crave show, based on the six-book seriesGame Changersby Rachel Reid, is officially returning for a second season.
"Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary," series creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said in a statement. "We're profoundly grateful to everyone that has been on this journey with us. Being renewed for a second season so early is a true honor, and we can't wait to bring you even more of what you love."
Here's everything we know so far.
WasHeated Rivalryrenewed for season 2?
Yes, HBO Max announced the news in December 2025. The streamer posted a video on Instagram with series stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie opening up a gift box with a hockey puck that says "Heated Rivalry" on one side, and "Season 2" on the other. The video is captioned, "The game's not over. Season 2 of #HeatedRivalry is coming to HBO Max."
Justin Stockman, Vice President of Content and Programming at Bell Media, said in a statement: "Heated Rivalryrepresents the very best of what Canadian creators can deliver: rich characters, compelling drama, and a world audiences want to live in. The response has been extraordinary, and seeing the series now traveling internationally is an incredible milestone."
What willHeated Rivalryseason 2 be about?
While the exact season 2 plot is still under wraps, Storrie hinted that it'll be based on Rachel Reid's sixthGame Changerbook,The Long Game. "Start readingThe Long Gameif you want to spoil it for yourselves," he said.
The Long Game
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The novel continues to follow hockey rivals-turned-lovers Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), who are still keeping their romance a secret—10 years in. A decade of hiding is a challenge for them both, but going public could sabotage their careers. "It's time for them to decide what's most important—hockey or love," thebook's synopsisreads.
The show's creator and director, Jacob Tierney, offered more info on a second season while teasing the first season's last two episodes in an interview withGold Derby.
"You're going to finally get the joy that we wanted from the beginning—just queer joy, pure happiness and sweetness and love and all that other good stuff," he said of the season's end. "I'm confident in these last two episodes. My favorite scenes are all in Episodes 5 and 6. They're such different episodes. Episode 5 is so big and so much happens and 6 is so small and so intimate. I just watched the finale this morning because I had to sign off on a bunch of things and it's so nice to be with the two of them for that long. Those moments matter to me."
He then warned that fans will not be able to guess what's coming.
"It doesn't matter if they know what's coming because if you do any amount of Googling, you're going to find out how the fucking show ends! It's the journey," he said. "I keep reading people [saying] it's going to end on a cliffhanger. I don't comment but the last episode is called 'The Cottage.'"
After being asked if season 2 might have more episodes, Tierney commented, "I don't know if you're going to get that. But you're going to get a lot of content. Everyone's pretty committed to this universe, in this world. So it's going to be okay. It's going to be good."
Who is in the cast?
An official cast listing hasn't been announced yet, but we can assume that Williams and Storrie will reprise their roles as Shane and Ilya, respectively. The season 1 cast is also rounded out by François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Sophie Nélisse, and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova. Stay tuned to see who will return for season 2.
This story will be updated.
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