Heated Rivalry Season 2's "External Battle" For Shane & Ilya Teased By Hudson Williams

4 days ago 14

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Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams teases what's in store for the main characters in season 2, which is officially in development. Based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Reid, the romance drama series following rival pro hockey players who develop feelings for each other became a cultural phenomenon in late 2025, and fans now have to wait for the follow-up.

Williams, who plays Canadian hockey star Shane Hollander, appeared on The Tonight Show and revealed the basics of next season's plot, which will see a shift in the main conflict: "There are some meanies. There are some big baddies. Well, yes, but now. And they have to — if season 1 is like an internal battle, season 2 is more of an external battle."

Spoilers ahead!While the first installment is primarily about Shane and Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) grappling with their feelings and keeping their relationship a secret because of how it could impact their careers, Heated Rivalry season 1's ending sees them committing to each other and tentatively planning to come out publicly as a couple, following American player Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) coming out.

So, Williams hints at the conflict Shane and Ilya may face as they try to change the image of their relationship in the public eye. Heated Rivalry season 2 has additional source material to draw upon from Reid's Game Changers book series. Future plot points include Ilya successfully switching teams to be closer to Shane and them announcing their collaboration on a new charity.

Created for television by Jacob Tierney, Heated Rivalry's recurring cast also includes Franco Lo Presti, Callan Potter, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Slavic Rogozine, and Robbie G.K. Tiernery already confirmed that Heated Rivalry season 2 won't be arriving in 2026, saying in an interview that the team has barely gotten started on the sophomore outing of the Crave Original:

It can't be same time next year, because this time last year I'd written five of these, and this time this year I've written zero of them [...] So it's going to be a little bit later, but it's still going to be soon.

In the meantime, Heated Rivalry is still one of the most-watched shows on HBO Max: It is the No. 1 series in the U.S. today (January 8). It also currently has a 98% Tomatometer and a 95% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes. How the show reflects the real lived experiences of some athletes has also been a topic of discussion among the cast and fans.

Heated Rivalry will probably debut its second season in 2027 or 2028, while fans will likely rewatch the series and seek out similar properties in the meantime. The network will also presumably be interested in renewing the series again after season 2, as it has achieved a rare level of popularity that is holding steady after the season finale's premiere.