Heated Rivalry Season 2 Expected to Start Production in August: Here’s the Latest Update
Back in December, we shared some very exciting news with y’all: Canadian streaming service Crave had officially greenlit a second season of their massive phenomenon Heated Rivalry. And it wasn’t a quiet renewal—it came with a major global distribution deal that ensured our favorite queer hockey romance would keep streaming far beyond Canada, hitting international markets through HBO Max, Neon, and Movistar Plus+.
At the time, though, there was also a small reality check. During the show’s post-release press run, creator Jacob Tierney made it clear that a Holiday release like Season 1 wasn’t realistic this time around since scripts hadn’t even been written yet. Early 2027 was the goal. Painful? Yes. Understandable? Also yes.
But now we have a clearer timeline, and it’s starting to feel tangible.
Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady stopped by CBS Mornings this morning (Thursday, February 26), where they sat down with host Gayle King to talk about the next chapter of the series. The big takeaway? Production on Heated Rivalry Season 2 is scheduled to begin this August, with an expected release date in early 2027.
Yes, you read that right. Heated Rivalry Season 2 is expected to start production this August, so that’s in around six months!
“There will be more Heated Rivalry on your TVs, truly, as soon as humanly possible,” Tierney promised, leaning into the show’s signature slow-burn tension and encouraging fans to “enjoy the yearn” in the meantime. And honestly, if there’s a fandom trained in the art of yearning, it’s this one.
You can watch Jacob and Brendan’s full interview in the tweet below.
Based on the Game Changers novels by Rachel Reid, the series follows rival MHL stars Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), whose on-ice competition masks a secret, long-running romance that is as tender as it is complicated. Over the course of Season 1, we watched them navigate not only their deepening feelings for each other, but also the crushing pressures of professional sports, public expectations, and the very real fear of coming out in a hyper-masculine league.
What made the show hit differently—especially for us as queer viewers—was how unapologetically LGBTQ+ it allowed this love story to be. This wasn’t a subplot. It wasn’t coded glances. It was a full-blown, emotionally messy, romantic relationship between two men at the top of their sport. Angsty? Absolutely. Romantic? Completely. Revolutionary for a sports drama? Without question.
The news that Heated Rivalry Season 2 is expected to start production this August also arrives after Reid shared an update of her own. The upcoming novel Unrivaled, which continues Shane and Ilya’s journey—this time as a married couple playing on the same team—will now be released in June 2027 instead of this September, as originally announced. Reid has spoken openly about living with Parkinson’s disease, which has understandably impacted her writing pace. We want to approach that with care: her health comes first, always. The fact that she continues to create while navigating a chronic illness is something we deeply respect. The stories will be there when they’re ready, and so will we.
Would we love to skip straight to 2027? Obviously. But we’re also relieved the team has the time they need. Season 1 set an incredibly high bar for queer storytelling in sports, and we would hate for Season 2 to fall short simply because it was rushed. Tierney has more than proven he understands these characters, their emotional stakes, and why their love story matters so much to audiences. So we’ll let him do his magic in peace.
Anygays… circle August on your calendars, folks, cause we’re surely getting lots of behind-the-scenes pictures from filming and casting announcements! Heated Rivalry Season 2 is coming, but until then, we’ll just keep rewatching Season 1 like it’s our full-time job. Because, let’s be honest, that’s basically what we’ve been doing anyway.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article stated that Heated Rivalry Season 2 was expected to be released in April 2027. That information was later denied by CBS Mornings in the tweet embedded below. At this time, only the August production start has been confirmed. We regret the error and have updated the article accordingly.
Heated Rivalry Season 1 is available to stream on Crave (Canada), HBO Max (US & other regions), NEON (New Zealand), and Movistar Plus+ (Spain). Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Images Courtesy of Bell Media.
