Heated Rivalry boss Jacob Tierney teases good and bad news for season 2

Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney has shared an exciting update about season two – but whether it’s good or bad news could be open to interpretation.

The hugely popular show debuted last year, leaving fans around the world obsessed (which is an understatement) with Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie).

It was confirmed not long after that a second season would be coming, though fans still have a long time to wait as it’s not expected until April 2027.

Until then, fans have been grasping at any bit of news they could get, including an apparent casting call leak that confirmed some new characters were coming.

Of course, those characters were well known by fans of the source book series, Game Changers.

Shane and Ilya’s story is taken from the second book in the series, also called Heated Rivalry. Their story is continued in book six, The Long Game, and will be the focus of the upcoming seventh book, Unrivaled.

But for fans expecting to see all of their favourite moments from The Long Game in season two of the show, Tierney had something to say.

He told Deadline: “Who said I’m doing it all? There’s a lot of material.”

Given that the first season was a very loyal adaptation of the book, and Tierney has made it clear he’s a big fan of the source material and wants to take it seriously, it’s unlikely he’d just get rid of big plot points.

So could that mean The Long Game will be split across multiple seasons of the show? We don’t know yet, but we hope so. Anything for more Heated Rivalry!

Game Changers book series

Rachel Reid is the best-selling author behind the Game Changers series.

Each of the books is a gay, hockey romance story, focusing on a player and a love interest. In the case of Heated Rivalry, the focal characters are two rival hockey players.

The first book, Game Changer, follows star player Scott Hunter and his relationship with smoothie shop worker Kip Grady.

Book three, Tough Guy, sees gentle giant player Ryan Price reconnect with an old friend, musician Fabian Salah, before romantic feelings surgace.

In Common Goal, book four, newly divorced bisexual player Eric Bennett falls hard for bartender Kyle Swift. Scott and Kip’s storyline is also continued as a secondary plot.

Book five, Role Model, sees closeted player Troy Barrett dealing with a breakup before getting involved with his team’s social media manager Harris Drover.

Shane and Ilya’s storyline is continued in The Long Game, with it following how they navigate being a couple while also keeping it secret.

When will Unrivaled by Rachel Reid be released?

The seventh book in the series, Unrivaled, will also follow Shane and Ilya’s relationship.

It was announced in January 2026, with an initial release date of 29 September, 2026.

However, in February, author Rachel Reid announced that the release date was being pushed back. She explained that the success of the television show, and worsening symptoms of Parkinson’s, were making it difficult for her to write the book.

It is now scheduled to be released on 1 June 2027.

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