Shane and Illya fans rejoice! Heated Rivalry is coming back for a new season.
Back in November, TV viewers were finally treated to the highly anticipated gay hockey romance TV series, created by Jacob Tierney.
Based on Rachel Reid’s hit novel, Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two elite professional hockey players who have a fierce rivalry on the ice but harbour a secret romantic relationship behind closed doors.
The official synopsis reads: “What begins as a secret fling between confused teenagers at 17 evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery. Over the next eight years, as they chase glory on the ice, they struggle to navigate their feelings off it.
“Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there’s room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile – and powerful – as real love.”
Since its two-episode premiere on 28 November, Heated Rivalry has become a viral sensation and critical success, with praise aimed at its faithfulness to the source material, Williams and Storrie’s chemistry (on and off-screen), and its bold sex scenes.
While the series has become a certified hit, fans have anxiously waited for news of a renewal.
Fortunately, on 12 December, Crave and HBO Max – with the help of Storrie and Hudson – announced that the series would, in fact, be returning for a second season.
In a teaser video posted across the platforms’ social media accounts, the two handsome actors were given a gift to open.
“Yeah, do you go bow first?” Storrie cheekily comments, with Williams adding, “Oh, you’re a ripper?”
After unwrapping a box, the two pull out a hockey puck that reads ‘Heated Rivalry‘ before turning it over to reveal ‘season 2’.
“Season two. Heated Rivalry. Confirmed,” Storrie exclaimed, while Williams teased a “hotter, wetter, and longer” season.
Toward the end of the video, Storrie encouraged fans to read The Long Game, the book sequel to Heated Rivalry, if they wanted to “spoil it for yourselves.”
Williams added: “Enjoy it when it comes!”
The games not over.
Season 2 of #HeatedRivalry is coming to HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/CwoTu9LuTl
— HBO Max (@hbomax) December 12, 2025
As you can imagine, fans (including us) are going absolutely feral for the renewal announcement, with one person on X/Twitter writing: “The power of Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams, and the best f**king fandom editors of all time.”
Another Heated Rivalry enthusiast tweeted: “Did he just say it’s gonna be longer?!?!? I always win.”
A third fan enthusiastically wrote: “Oh my god, you guys, I’m reading The Long Game right now and they are so f**king cute and adorable together! I can’t f**king wait for season 2.”
Shortly after the news was announced, the show’s creator, Tierney, spoke with Entertainment Weekly about what fans can expect from season two, which will be based on The Long Game.
“We’re following Shane and Ilya. That’s not gonna be a shock. There’s certainly a possibility we’ll have additional resources, and we can do some things that we would want to do,” he told the news outlet.
“That would be great, but otherwise, I would want to keep it spiritually the same show. We’re off on a road here, we’re in one direction, and I like it. I’m so happy with the show, and I’m so incredibly impressed with what my creative team pulled off… 10s across the board.”
New episodes air every Friday on Crave in Canada and on HBO in the US, with the finale scheduled for 26 December.
As of writing, a UK release has sadly not been announced.
Check out our Heated Rivalry tag for all the reactions from fans – and the cast.
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