In less shocking news, people want to watch sexy hockey players be sexy.

Heated Rivalry officially renewed for season 2, creator confirms ‘we’re following Shane and Ilya’

In less shocking news, people want to watch sexy hockey players be sexy.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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December 12, 2025 12:02 p.m. ET

'Heated Rivalry' renewed for season 2. Credit:

In one of the least surprising moves that's also one of the most hotly anticipated, *Heated Rivalry* has officially been renewed for season 2.

** independently confirmed the news after *Deadline* was the first to report the news. HBO Max once again will distribute the show from Canada's Crave streamer in the U.S. and Australia, but it's now in the midst of making deal to release season 2 in more territories.

Details are still coming together, but series creator Jacob Tierney confirms to EW* *in an interview that predates the announcement, "We're following Shane and Ilya. That's not gonna be a shock."

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are the two stars who have the romance-loving crowd in a chokehold as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two rival Major League Hockey players who spark a heated relationship behind closed doors that plays out over the course of years. Intoxicating sex rapidly snowballs into passionate love as the two grapple with their public and private lives, and the perceived consequences of coming out.

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams on 'Heated Rivalry'.

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Originally created for Canadian streaming platform Crave, *Heated Rivalry* season 1 consists of six episodes. Given the runaway overnight success, Tierney is already thinking about what more resources could look like for season 2.

"There's certainly a possibility we'll have additional resources, and we can do some things that we would want to do," the creator tells EW. "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.... For me, it's 10 across the board. So there's no version that more money could make me wanna change anything."

To further play up the season 2 announcement, HBO Max shot an unboxing video with the two stars. "Hotter, wetter, longer," Williams said.

"Start reading *The Long Game* if you want to spoil it for yourself," Storrie teased of Reid's novel in the *Game Changer* series.

“*Heated Rivalry* represents the very best of what Canadian creators can deliver: Rich characters, compelling drama, and a world audiences want to live in,” Justin Stockman, VP of Content and Programming at Crave's parent company Bell Media, said in a statement. “The response has been extraordinary, and seeing the series now travelling internationally is an incredible milestone.”

Tierney also released a prepared statement for the news: "Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary. We’re profoundly grateful to everyone that has been on this journey with us. Being renewed for a second season so early is a true honor, and we can’t wait to bring you even more of what you love."

Everyone involved in *Heated Rivalry* had to process its success in real time. François Arnaud, who plays hockey star Scott Hunter opposite Robbie G.K.'s barista boyfriend Kip, previously expressed how he needed to step back from social media for his own sanity.

"I'm struggling to sleep, actually. It's a lot," he said in an early December interview. "I have to like delete my Instagram. It's just too much for me.

François Arnaud as Scott Hunter and Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady on 'Heated Rivalry'.

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The fervor is a testament to lovers of the romance genre and author Rachel Reid's *Game Changer* novels, which served as inspiration, as well as the massive word of mouth on social media. HBO Max released the show in the U.S. and Australia, and the two-episode premiere drop gave current ratings darling *It: Welcome to Derry* a run for its No. 1 spot on the platform.

"I don't know what I expected, but it was not this. It's so great," Tierney tells EW. "I'm very grateful and I'm very thrilled. In terms of engagement, if I'm being honest, I try not to engage that much and kind of let this happen. Hopefully the more interesting conversations about the show will happen once it's all aired and you can see what it was doing from the beginning."

*Heated Rivalry* continues to release weekly episodes on HBO Max every Friday.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW LGBTQ”