There’s no doubt that Heated Rivalry is still a hit. But ever since it was greedily consumed—sometimes multiple times—by an instantly devoted fanbase, one question has been on everyone’s lips: What will the second season bring?
Will Ilya (Connor Storrie) and Shane (Hudson Williams) return? When will it be released? And are the rumors true about a possible one-off episode arriving before the full second season? Here’s everything you need to know about the second outing of everyone’s favorite steamy gay hockey show.
What’s the plot of Heated Rivalry Season 2?
On one hand, I’m extremely eager for Season 2. On the other, where could Ilya and Shane’s story possibly go from here without ruining the magic of the first season? While the TV plot for Season 2 hasn’t been fully written yet, it’s worth noting that author Rachel Reid did release a follow-up of sorts—the sixth book in her Game Changers series, titled The Long Game. In an Instagram clip shared by HBO, Storrie even said, “Start reading The Long Game if you want to spoil it for yourselves.”
Here’s a summary of that book’s plot:
“Ten years. That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret—from friends, from family, from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything? Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings that sometimes Ilya wonders if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship… Ilya wants it all. It’s time for them to decide what’s most important: hockey or love. It’s time to make a call.”
Creator Jacob Tierney recently revealed that Season 2 would likely be confined to a tight six episodes, so plenty from the relatively dense source material will be cut or creatively adapted for screen (as is always the case with any retelling). On an episode of the podcast Loon Call, Tierney also confirmed that part of Season 2 would focus on Shane coming out to his teammates. “I’m going to have to do Shane coming out to his team,” he said. “I can’t do that off screen… you have to see it. You have to experience it yourself… I knew as soon as I was going through the book and breaking it apart. I have these circled beats.”
Who is in the cast of Heated Rivalry Season 2?
It would be crazy not to bring back Storrie and Williams as the leads—so of course their return has been confirmed. The rest of the cast hasn’t been announced yet, though it’s reasonable to assume Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh will likely return as Shane’s parents, Yuna and David Hollander, given the significance of their roles in The Long Game.
Neither Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) nor Kip Grady (Robbie Graham-Kuntz) are confirmed to return yet, but that seems likely too. “Not that we weren’t expecting it, but I think we’re all surprised at how popular Scott and Kip were,” Reid told Variety in December. “So now it’s, ‘OK, how do you get more Scott and Kip?'”
When will Heated Rivalry Season 2 be released?
The million-dollar question! First things first: it’s not yet fully written. “I think Jacob’s still writing it,” Storrie said during an appearance on Today. “I think we’re going to be filming—I don’t know when, exactly.” Williams was a little more revealing, telling Variety that filming is likely to happen this summer, which would point to an early 2027 release. “Maybe someone has told me July or August, but I really don’t know,” he said.
Elsewhere, Tierney has remained tight-lipped, though he’s also hinted at an early…The next season is set for a 2027 release. “It won’t be exactly the same time next year, but it will be pretty soon after that,” he said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “It’s not going to be two years. I don’t think it will even be 18 months.”
In exciting news, however, one executive revealed that a bonus special episode could potentially happen before then. “We’re going to see what’s feasible,” Justin Stockman, vice president of content development and programming at Bell Media, told the Toronto Star. “If [Tierney] can find a way to adapt the source material to give us something sooner or something special, I’m sure he will. I would love to have this back for the holidays next year, but that likely isn’t going to happen. We can’t rush the process. We won’t be able to recreate the magic if we push him.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about whether Heated Rivalry Season 2 can live up to the hype designed to sound like questions from real fans and newcomers
Beginner General Questions
Q What is Heated Rivalry and why is there so much hype for Season 2
A Heated Rivalry is a popular romance novel by Rachel Reid about two rival hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov who have a secret relationship The hype for Season 2 is huge because the first book has a massive dedicated fanbase thats been waiting years to see the next chapter of their story
Q I just finished Book 1 Do I need to read anything else before Season 2
A While The Long Game is the direct sequel its highly recommended to read the novella Role Model first A major plot point from that book directly sets up the conflict in Season 2
Q Is Season 2 a TV show or another book
A Its another book Fans often call The Long Game Season 2 because its the longawaited continuation of Shane and Ilyas main story
Q When is Heated Rivalry Season 2 being released
A The sequel titled The Long Game was released on April 26 2022
Advanced FanCentric Questions
Q Can the sequel possibly live up to the iconic status of the first book
A This is the core question The first book is beloved for its tension humor and secret romance The sequel has the challenging task of moving the characters into a new more public phase of their relationship while maintaining their spark Most fans agree it successfully evolves their story even if the tone is necessarily different
Q What are the main challenges Season 2 faces in living up to the hype
A 1 Changing Dynamics The forbidden secret rivalry is over The book now deals with established relationship challenges which is a different kind of conflict
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