Heated Rivalry Season 2 Release Month & Filming Start Revealed

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Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Grigoryevich Rozanov touching foreheads in Heated Rivalry

Published Feb 26, 2026, 9:26 AM EST

Abigail is an editor for ScreenRant, currently writing and editing movie news. You may also have seen her thoughts on animated television, musical theater, and fantasy literature in Paste Magazine, Fantasy Hive, or The Oxford Blue. She has also written SR lists and op-eds covering movies, TV, and books as well. She is an English major through and through, having graduated with a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara and an MPhil from Oxford University.

Fans of a new pop-cultural phenomenon can rest assured that the follow-up is on its way.

The Crave Original Heated Rivalry premiered on HBO Max in November 2025, with its six episodes running into December. Based on Rachel Reid's sports romance drama novel of the same name, the series swiftly became a massive hit, starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as rival pro hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who have a secret romance behind the scenes.

On CBS Mornings on Thursday, showrunner Jacob Tierney confirmed that while they are still working on writing the second season, it is slated to begin production in August 2026. Gayle King announced that Heated Rivalry season 2 has an expected release date in April 2027. This means that fans will hopefully only have to endure a year-and-a-half-long hiatus, not the worst of the streaming era.

Appearing alongside executive producer Brendan Brady, Tierney stated: "There will be more Heated Rivalry on your TVs, like, truly, as soon as humanly possible." Brady also said, "like the best parts of this show," fans should "enjoy the yearn" of waiting for Heated Rivalry season 2. Additionally, Tierney previously confirmed that Heated Rivalry season 2 will also have six episodes.

Ilya looking at Shane at the table from Heated Rivalary

The sophomore season of Heated Rivalry will adapt The Long Game, the sixth book in Reid's Game Changers series, and the second one focusing on Shane and Ilya (season 1 is based on the second book in the series, with the main characters of the first book being framed as a secondary storyline). Heated Rivalry season 1's ending is relatively peaceful, but it still sets up plot threads to be resolved.

Tierney also stated on CBS that he believes they have made a "very faithful adaptation," additionally saying: "They [Crave] trusted me, but they also trusted the material and the audience already loved this." Thus, audiences can expect the next season to adhere closely to the plot of The Long Game, though it may work in storylines from other Game Changers installments.

Reid also recently announced the seventh book in her series, titled Unrivaled, which will be another installment in Shane and Ilya's story. Thus, it could provide additional source material for even more seasons of Heated Rivalry. Unrivaled is also set for a 2027 release date.

Heated Rivalry has an unshakable 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and has dominated the streaming charts for months (as of February 26, it is still the no. 3 TV show in the world on HBO Max). The stars have become icons, being invited to events from the Golden Globes to the Olympics. Season 2 is sure to be a major TV event, and now the (rough) countdown can begin.

All episodes of Heated Rivalry are available to stream on HBO Max.