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Heated Rivalry season 2: Release date, cast, book plot, trailers and news
27 December 2025, 13:18 | Updated: 9 January 2026, 10:39
Will there be a Heated Rivalry season 2? Here's everything we know about the future of the gay ice hockey drama and what happens in the next Shane and Ilya book The Long Game.
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Obsessed with Heated Rivalry and want to see more of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov? The popular TV show has been renewed for a second season and we now have an official update on the Heated Rivalry season 2 release date.
There's no denying that Heated Rivarly is a cultural phenomenon. Based on the Rachel Reid book of the same name, the series explores the secret enemies to lovers romance of rival hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). Are Shane and Ilya endgame though? And do they ever go public as a couple?
Heated Rivalry season 1 ends on quite the cliffhanger. Fans of the book will already know that Heated Rivalry is the second novel in a six-part series and there's plenty more of Shane and Ilya's romance to adapt on screen.
With that in mind, here's everything we know about Heated Rivalry season 2 including the release date, cast, book plot, spoilers, trailers, news and so much more. Scroll down for all the Heated Rivalry season 2 details.
- Read more: Heated Rivalry intimacy coordinator reveals what happens if an actor gets aroused
- Read more: Heated Rivalry removes fan-fave Ilya and Shane moment from the book
When does Heated Rivalry season 2 come out?
Heated Rivalry cast learn season 2 is happening
Has Heated Rivalry been renewed for season 2?
On December 12th, 2025, Crave took to the official Heated Rivalry Instagram account to confirm that Heated Rivalry season 2 is in the works. The show is so popular that it was renewed before season 1 even finished airing. HBO Max also shared a video of Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie announcing the news with a season 2 hockey puck.
On top of that, GQ has confirmed that both Hudson and Connor have "signed on for three seasons". In other words, there are already plans for season 3 if it gets green-lit by Crave and HBO.
When is the Heated Rivalry season 2 release date?
Unfortunately fans won't get Heated Rivalry season 2 before 2027. Speaking to Variety, showrunner Jacob Tierney explained: "It can’t be same time next year because this time last year I’d written five of these [episodes] 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."
He added: "We understand that everybody’s goal is to not do two years between seasons. And at the same time, I don’t want to put out a rushed sh---y second season just because the show is popular - but we’re aware that our creative partners are enthusiastic and don’t want to wait too long. We’re getting back to work!"
With this in mind, it appears that the aim is to release season 2 before November 2027.
Bookmark this page and we'll let you know when filming starts.
Who will be in the Heated Rivarly season 2 cast?
Based on the plot of the next Heated Rivalry book, The Long Game, we imagine that most of the cast will return for more passion, pleasure and pain in Heated Rivalry season 2. With that in mind, expect to see:
- Hudson Williams - Shane Hollander
- Connor Storrie - Ilya Grigoryevich Rozanov
- François Arnaud - Scott Hunter
- Robbie G.K. - Christopher "Kip" Grady
- Callan Potter - Hayden Pike
- Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova - Svetlana Sergeevna Vetrova
- Sophie Nélisse - Rose Landry
- Christina Chang - Yuna Hollander
- Dylan Walsh - David Hollander
It's also likely that new characters will be introduced and it's possible that more characters from the extended Heated Rivalry universe (the Game Changers books) will be added to the show, similar to Scott and Kip.
Heated Rivalry season 2 book plot: What happens?
Heated Rivalry season 1 covers the plot of the second Game Changers book Heated Rivalry with the first titular Game Changers book also included as a bottle episode about Scott Hunter and Kip Grady's love story. Like Heated Rivalry, the season ends with the cottage scene where Shane's parents find out that he's secretly dating Ilya.
Season 2 will likely cover the next stage of Shane and Ilya's relationship which is shown in the sixth book in the Game Changers series The Long Game. It's also possible that season 2 will introduce fans to the couples we meet in the third, fourth and fifth Game Changers books.
The Long Game explores the tension between Ilya and Shane when Ilya feels ready to come out publicly but Shane is adamant that they stay in the closet.
To find out exactly what happens in The Long Game, read our summary of the book.
Is there a Heated Rivalry season 2 trailer?
There are no Heated Rivalry season 2 trailers at the moment but we'll let you know as soon as there are any.
Read more about Heated Rivalry here:
- Heated Rivalry boss shuts down speculation around Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams' sexualities
- Heated Rivalry actor Connor Storrie's age, height, past roles, where he's from and more
- Heated Rivalry actor Robbie G.K.'s age, height, past roles, where he's from and more
- Do Scott and Kip end up together in Heated Rivalry? Here's what happens in the books
- How to watch Heated Rivalry online in the US, UK and around the world
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