Steamy ice hockey romance Heated Rivalry has finally arrived in the UK, following a six-week wait for the much-hyped show to make the journey across the pond.
The series, which is now available on Sky Atlantic and NOW, follows the secret love affair that unfolds between professional sportsmen Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie).
The show has attracted no shortage of attention for its sex scenes, but has also earned praise for its heartfelt romance and discussions around the difficulty of coming out – especially for those living in the public eye.
After becoming a breakout hit, making overnight stars of its lead actors Williams and Storrie, it should come as no surprise that Canadian streaming platform Crave quickly ordered more episodes of the LGBTQ+ drama.
But, unfortunately for fans, we now have a wait on our hands before any new chapters arrive. Here's everything we know so far about Heated Rivalry season 2, including comments from showrunner Jacob Tierney and author Rachel Reid.
Heated Rivalry season 2 release date speculation
Heated Rivalry season 2 does not yet have a confirmed release, but it seems safe to assume that the show's next chapter will be a top priority for Canadian streamer Crave and its US partner HBO Max.
The show swiftly earned a renewal in December 2025, amid a massive wave of acclaim and popularity, but showrunner Jacob Tierney admitted later that month that he hadn't started plotting the second season.
With any luck, the show will be able to stick to a roughly annual production cycle, which would point to a premiere date in winter 2026, but that's just speculation for the time being.
We'll update this page when further details about the Heated Rivalry return date emerge.
Heated Rivalry season 2 cast speculation
Heated Rivalry season 2 will see the return of Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as star-crossed ice hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
The pair had only minor screen credits to their name prior to the show's premiere, but are now two of the most in-demand stars in Hollywood, with prolific talent agent CAA scooping them both up.
Given the enormous status that the show has developed over the last few months, it wouldn't be surprising to see some prolific cast additions in season 2, but there's no word yet on further casting.
Behind-the-camera, pop star Miley Cyrus recently expressed interest in writing a song for the second season, having recently picked up a Golden Globe nomination for her Avatar: Fire and Ash track Dream as One.
Meanwhile, Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid has voiced her support for "more Scott and Kip" in season 2, following the popularity of their relationship, which is a particular focus of the third episode of season 1.
Here's a reminder of the main cast of Heated Rivalry:
Hudson Williams as Shane HollanderConnor Storrie as Ilya Grigoryevich RozanovFrançois Arnaud as Scott HunterRobbie GK as Christopher 'Kip' GradyChristina Chang as Yuna HollanderDylan Walsh as David HollanderKsenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Sergeevna VetrovaCallan Potter as Hayden PikeMatt Gordon as George Grady, Kip's fatherSophie Nélisse as Rose LandryHeated Rivalry season 2 plot speculation: What could happen next?
Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney has teased that season 2 will be based on The Long Game by author Rachel Reid; fittingly, her second book about Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
Although there are six books in the Game Changers series of novels, they follow an anthology format which splits focus between various different gay couples in the world of sport.
As a result, Heated Rivalry and The Long Game are currently the only two novels about Shane and Ilya, but a third chapter in their romance story is expected to hit book store shelves in September of this year.
On his plans (or lack thereof) for the adaptation, Tierney told Deadline: "I have not started writing, so I'm not just trying to be evasive. I genuinely don't know yet.
"I'm so lucky to have a whole world of books here to grab things from, to use, to add colour, to add context, to add story... Heated Rivalry will always be centred around Shane and Ilya, but we have a whole universe here.
He added: "There's loads of other things that we're thinking about and that we're gonna explore and that we're gonna start to take more seriously now that we know that there's an audience for it. And that’s pretty exciting."
His comments seem to suggest that spin-offs for the likes of Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) and other Game Changers protagonists aren't outside the realm of possibility.
But viewers locked into Shane and Ilya's relationship can be assured that they won't be sidelined moving forward.
The synopsis for The Long Game, which might offer clues about Heated Rivalry season 2 storylines, reads: "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, sometimes Ilya questions 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."
View oEmbed on the source websiteThat synopsis lines up with what Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams said he'd like to see from season 2 (via Entertainment Tonight).
"I want to see [Shane and Ilya] in a relationship," he said. "We see them get into a relationship, but we don't see them in one. So seeing them deal with s**t that everybody has to deal with would be nice... the real stuff!"
In an interview with Variety, author Reid shared her hopes for the future: "Obviously, the focus has to stay on Ilya and Shane. We're not going to do season 2 and it’s a totally different couple. It wouldn't be very popular.
"Not that we weren’t expecting it, but I think we're all surprised at how popular Scott and Kip were. So now it's, 'OK, how do you get more Scott and Kip?'"
She added: "I think it's going to be mostly The Long Game... but there's another book, Role Model, that kind of overlaps it. So I’m hoping that we’ll get both stories told at the same time."
Role Model follows the relationship that blossoms between "grumpy" ice hockey player Troy Barrett, who is "traded to the worst team in the league," but finds solace in the team's "peppy social media manager" Harris Drover.
Is there a Heated Rivalry season 2 trailer?
Alas, there's no new footage to share just yet – but we'll update this page when that changes.
For now, why not refresh your memory of the first season?
View Green Video on the source websiteHeated Rivalry is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
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Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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