Heated Rivalry is officially returning for a second season after becoming one of the biggest television hit series at the end of 2025. HBO Max confirmed the show’s renewal on December 12, 2025, with a video featuring stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie opening a gift that contained a puck announcing Season 2. The series is a Crave original based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels. Its main story follows rival hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov as their romance grows while they compete at the highest level of the sport.
@hbomax The game’s not over. Season 2 of #HeatedRivalry is coming to HBO Max.
Director Jacob Tierney has started sharing more information about what comes next, including new casting news connected to Season 2 characters. The new faces joining the show are Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie, who will play love interests, Harris Drover and Troy Barrett. Troy is a closeted hockey player who transfers to the Ottawa Centaurs, Ilya Rozanov’s new team. Meanwhile, Harris is the team’s openly gay social media manager, and the pair will develop a magnetic attraction. The show’s official streaming platforms, Crave and HBO Max, took to social media to confirm the casting. The Canadian streamer captioned the post with “New Season. New Faces,” as HBO Max took a humorous approach and described the reveal as a “hard launch.”
More news
New Season. New Faces. pic.twitter.com/rgryrik9jN
— Crave (@CraveCanada) August 7, 2026
Hard launch. #HeatedRivalry
Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie join the cast of Heated Rivalry Season 2. pic.twitter.com/WP5f42iDne
— HBO Max (@hbomax) August 7, 2026
Fans are also waiting for an official production schedule and premiere date. No final date has been officially announced, but DEADLINE reported that Heated Rivalry Season 2 could be released sometime in Spring 2027. There is also new material coming for fans who want to know more about the show. On June 2, 2026, PEOPLE also reported that Tierney is preparing a behind-the-scenes book titled I’ll Believe in Anything. The book will explain how the television series was made and is expected to include reflections on its unexpected success. Amazon currently lists October 13, 2026, as the book’s release date.
