Showrunner Teases 'Much More Serious' Season 2 of 'Heated Rivalry'

The hockey romance series will explore deeper relationship challenges beyond 'hotel-room-adolescent-sex stuff'.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 8:34pm

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An extreme close-up of shattered glass reflecting dramatic studio lighting, conveying the sophisticated emotional journey of the 'Heated Rivalry' characters as their romance deepens.As the hit hockey romance series 'Heated Rivalry' enters a more emotionally complex second season, the shattered glamour of its central characters' relationship is exposed.NYC Today

Showrunner Jacob Tierney says Season 2 of the hit hockey romance series 'Heated Rivalry' will take the relationship between characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov to 'much more serious territory.' The new season, based on Rachel Reid's book 'The Long Game,' will delve into the realities of the couple's relationship after their initial slow-burn romance. Tierney also confirmed that storylines from Reid's 'Role Model' book will be incorporated into the new season.

Why it matters

As one of the most popular LGBTQ+ romance series on television, 'Heated Rivalry' has built a devoted fanbase eager to see the next chapter in Shane and Ilya's relationship. The showrunner's comments indicate the series is maturing beyond initial flirtations and sex scenes to explore deeper emotional and relational challenges, which could resonate with viewers seeking more nuanced LGBTQ+ representation on screen.

The details

Showrunner Jacob Tierney says Season 2 of 'Heated Rivalry' will find the central couple Shane and Ilya 'in much more serious territory' compared to the first season. He notes that while there will still be 'lots of flirting and lots of sex,' the 'hotel-room-adolescent-sex stuff is largely gone' as the show delves into the complexities of the characters maintaining a relationship. Tierney brought on co-writer Michael Goldbach to assist with the more emotionally sophisticated storylines, which are based on Rachel Reid's book 'The Long Game.' The showrunner also confirmed that elements from Reid's 'Role Model' book will be incorporated into the new season, as the series continues to expand the 'Game Changer' universe.

  • Variety published this article on April 18, 2026.

The players

Jacob Tierney

The showrunner of the 'Heated Rivalry' television series, who is in the midst of writing Season 2 of the show.

Rachel Reid

The author of the 'Game Changer' book series, including 'Heated Rivalry' and 'The Long Game,' which the TV show is based on.

Michael Goldbach

The co-writer who has joined Tierney to assist in the writing process for Season 2 of 'Heated Rivalry.'

Shane Hollander

One of the main characters in the 'Heated Rivalry' series, a hockey player whose relationship with Ilya Rozanov is the focus of the show.

Ilya Rozanov

The other main character in 'Heated Rivalry,' a hockey player who is in a relationship with Shane Hollander.

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What they’re saying

“It's different. It really is different. And the challenge of it is, from an adaptation point of view, is that you're in much more serious territory. A lot of the initial — there's still lots of flirting and lots of sex — but this kind of danger, this kind of hotel-room-adolescent-sex stuff is largely gone. And so it presents really new challenges.”

— Jacob Tierney, Showrunner, 'Heated Rivalry'

“Part of the reason you start off with 'Heated Rivalry,' as far as adapting goes, is because you want to get to 'The Long Game.' Because 'The Long Game' is an emotionally sophisticated book that takes this couple seriously. What I've always said about this show is there are a lot of books — 'Game Changer' is in 'Heated Rivalry' and obviously, as I think you guys all know by now — obviously parts of 'Role Model' are going to be in [Season 2], to the great surprise of absolutely nobody.”

— Jacob Tierney, Showrunner, 'Heated Rivalry'

“There's a Bergman-y kind of, what do you do after the rush of danger is gone and now you have to live in a relationship where you still aren't communicating properly, much as you would like to? You can say you love each other, but as adults know, there's so much more to making a relationship a success.”

— Jacob Tierney, Showrunner, 'Heated Rivalry'

What’s next

Tierney and the 'Heated Rivalry' production team are currently working on writing and producing Season 2 of the series, with the goal of getting the new episodes out to fans as soon as possible.

The takeaway

As 'Heated Rivalry' transitions from its initial season focused on the slow-burn romance between Shane and Ilya, the showrunner's comments indicate the series will delve deeper into the emotional complexities and challenges of maintaining a real-world relationship. This evolution could resonate with viewers seeking more nuanced LGBTQ+ representation on television.