Everything We Know About Heated Rivalry Season 2 (2026 March)

Season 1 of Heated Rivalry ended, and now we wait. If you're anything like us, you've already rewatched it countless times and are desperately searching for any news of Heated Rivalry season 2 to keep you going.

‍

Consider this your one-stop hub for everything we know about Heated Rivalry season 2: Confirmed details, reliable rumours, and a few educated guesses based on the source material. I'll keep this page up-to-date as new information comes, so bookmark it and check back.

‍

Note: This article contains some spoilers. It mentions character names and relationships from Role Model (book 5) and The Long Game (book 6). I've kept plot details to a minimum, but if you want to go in completely fresh, bookmark this and come back after you've read them.

‍

‍

Season 2 Production & Release Date

Jacob Tierney is going to be back as the director and writer for Heated Rivalry season 2. He'll be joined again by executive producer Brendan Brady.

‍

When asked about the timeline, Jacob's response was characteristically no-nonsense: "as soon as humanly possible." Brendan, meanwhile, told fans to "enjoy the yearn".

‍

Here's a quick rundown of what we know so far:

• Season 2 filming begins August 2026
• Release date is aimed for Spring 2027. It's rumoured to be released around April 2027, but that is not confirmed.
• Season 2 episode count is going to be the same as season 1: Six episodes in total, but the runtime per episode is still unknown (fingers crossed for longer episodes, but in Jacob we trust!)
• Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud and Robbie G.K. are confirmed to return in season 2 to reprise their roles
• Season 2 is confirmed to cover the next Shane/Ilya book - The Long Game. It's also expected to cover book 5 - Role Model.

‍

One more thing worth mentioning: There's a rumour floating around about a standalone special episode to tide fans over before season 2 drops. Jacob has since said he feels "misquoted" on this one, so it's not confirmed such episode is planned, but I'll update this if anything changes.

‍

‍

Which Books Is Season 2 Based On?

Season 2 is confirmed to be primarily based on The Long Game by Rachel Reid - the sixth book in the Game Changers series and the second book centred on Shane and Ilya's relationship.

‍

It's also highly likely to include the storyline from book 5, Role Model. The reason is that the two books' timelines overlap significantly. Several events in The Long Game are also seen from a different perspective in Role Model. Role Model introduces Troy Barrett, who becomes Ilya's new teammate on the Ottawa Centaurs, alongside his love interest Harris Drover. And that director Jacob Tierney has confirmed Troy is going to be in season 2.

‍

Think of it less as "season 2 is also about Troy and Harris" and more as "Troy is going to be an important character in season 2, and some of his story from Role Model will naturally come with him."

‍

Haven't read the books yet? I'd recommend reading Role Model and then The Long Game before season 2 airs.

‍

‍

Jacob's Vision for Season 2

Jacob has spoken about season 2 and The Long Game in this interview with Variety:

"The journey of this show, no matter how long it goes on for, will always be centered around the relationship between Shane and Ilya."

"Sex will always be a big part of it, like it is with any romantic relationship. But it’s really about continuing that progress of what happens after that first blush of love, what happens after you decide you’re in love and how do you sustain it?"

"That’s a very adult question: “We love each other, and now what? Does that mean everything’s easy?” No, it does not. There’s loads of challenges that get thrown Shane and Ilya’s way."

‍

‍

Returning Cast for Season 2

The main cast is confirmed to return for season 2:

• Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov
• Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander
• François Arnaud as Scott Hunter
• Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady

‍

Beyond the confirmed main cast, the following actors are expected to return based on their characters' appearances in The Long Game and Role Model:

• Christina Chang as Yuna Hollander (Shane's mother)
• Dylan Walsh as David Hollander (Shane's father)
• Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana Vetrova (Ilya's close friend)
• Callan Potter as Hayden Pike (Shane's teammate and best friend)
• Kamilla Kowal as Jackie Pike (Hayden's wife)
• Benjamin Roy as JJ Dagenais (Shane's teammate)
• Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry (Shane's Friend and Ex)

‍

Note: these are expected returns based on the source material, not confirmed casting announcements. We'll update this section as official announcements are made.

‍

‍

Will There Be New Characters in Season 2?

Based on the characters who appear in The Long Game and Role Model, here's who I'd expect to be newly cast for season 2:

• Troy Barrett - (Confirmed to be in S2) Ilya's new teammate on the Ottawa Centaurs, and the main character in Role Model
• Harris Drover - (Highly likely to appear) Troy's love interest and the other lead in Role Model
• Dallas Kent - a controversial NHL player whose storyline intersects with Troy's in Role Model
• Coach Wiebe - the Ottawa Centaurs head coach
• Galina - Ilya's therapist in The Long Game
• Roger Crowell - NHL Commissioner
• Wyatt Hayes - Goalie for Ottawa Centaurs

‍

And of course, arguably the most anticipated casting of all: Chyron and Anya, two very good dogs.

‍

‍

What About Ryan/Fabian & Eric/Kyle?

One of the most common questions from book readers (including me) is whether season 2 will include the other couples from the Game Changers universe - specifically Ryan Price and Fabian Salah (from Tough Guy) and Eric Bennett and Kyle Swift (from Common Goal).

‍

Nothing is confirmed for their appearance in season 2, and if there are any information, I'll update this section.

‍

Editor's note: My take is probably not in any significant way if Jacob wants to cover the full story of The Long Game in one season. With only six episodes, season 2 is going to have its hands full with Shane and Ilya's story, Troy and Harris' introduction, and all the supporting characters that come with Role Model and The Long Game. There simply isn't much room to give Ryan/Fabian or Eric/Kyle the screen time their relationships deserve.

‍

That said, the characters may still appear. Kyle Swift has already shown up in season 1 as the bartender at the Kingfisher and Kip's friend, and Ryan Price is mentioned in the Tuna Melt scene in episode 4. So although their full storylines may not be fully explored, these characters could still make an appearance in season 2.

‍

‍

Songs & Needle Drops in Season 2

One of the most talked-about aspects of Heated Rivalry is its needle drops (and here's the full list of all the songs in season 1 if you haven't seen it already).

‍

For season 2, Jacob has mentioned in this interview (at 34:08) that he's interested in featuring music by Carly Rae Jepsen in season 2. This makes perfect sense for a few reasons: she's Canadian, which fits Jacob's vision of keeping the show as Canadian as possible.

‍

Rachel Reid is a Carly fan as well: in Role Model, Harris wears a Carly Rae Jepsen t-shirt when getting his coffee delivered by Troy (Chapter 7, page 79), and Rachel mentioned that she considers Carly's song "I Really Like You" to be the theme song of Troy and Harris (So mark that song as a possibility for season 2?) Rachel talks about Carly Rae Jepsen in this interview starting at 43:34.

‍

One more potential song for The Long Game readers: The wedding scene in the book features "Diamonds" by Rihanna. Whether that carries over into the show is unconfirmed. (Personal editor's note: this cover by Josef Salvat would be a stunning alternative - just putting that out there, Jacob.)

‍

‍

What Happens After Season 2?

The good news is that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are both signed on for three seasons, so Shane and Ilya's story on screen isn't going anywhere after season 2.

‍

The third Shane and Ilya book and the seventh in the Game Changers series is Unrivaled by Rachel Reid, which could serve as the main source material for Heated Rivalry season 3. However, its release date has been pushed back from September 2026 to June 1, 2027, which puts it after the expected season 2 air date. Rachel shared this update with fans alongside a personal note about her health:

‍

"My life has gotten very different in the last couple months, and although it's all good, it's also taken away my ability to have quality time to write. And there's nothing more important to me than Unrivaled being the best book it can possibly be."

"For me, that’s been that my Parkinson’s symptoms have gotten a bit worse, and it’s made it difficult physically to write, so I’m definitely a lot slower"

‍

Despite the delay, the whole community has rallied behind Rachel to wish her the best. And the delay means we'll have more time to reheat season 1, and likely be watching season 2 before we can read Unrivaled.

‍

‍

How to Survive the Wait?

Season 2 is still a while away. Here's what we recommend before it drops:

‍

Reheat Season 1

There's genuinely no such thing as too many rewatches. Every time you go back you'll notice something new. Speaking of which, my Easter Eggs & Small Details page exists specifically for this purpose.

‍

Read the Books

If you haven't read Role Model and The Long Game yet, now is the perfect time. Editor's take: Having read Heated Rivalry before the TV show, I would say it actually made the show more enjoyable knowing the character's inner thoughts and their emotions. Jacob was able to take the source material and elevate it for the show, and I believe he would do it again. So I'd definitely recommend reading Role Model and then The Long Game before season 2.

‍

Follow the Actors

Connor, Hudson, François, Robbie and the rest of the cast are all doing interesting things while we wait. Our HR News page is a curated hub of all the interviews, photoshoots, and projects from the cast so you don't have to scour Instagram for everything.

‍

Check Back Here

I'll keep updating this page as season 2 news comes in. Bookmark it, and I'll do the curation so you don't have to.

‍

‍

Have I missed anything? If you've spotted a piece of season 2 news or an interview we haven't included, let me know via the Contribute page and I'll add it in.