Heated Rivalry Creator Teases Major Change For Season 2’s Long Game Adaptation

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Jacob Tierney may be approaching Heated Rivalry season 2 a bit differently this time around.

Creator Riley Tierney is behind the hit romance series Crave, now on HBO Max, which follows the complicated relationship between hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Tierney wrote and directed all six episodes of the first season, adapting the novel by Rachel Reid, and starred Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as Shane and Ilya. He’s currently working on the second season, based on Reid’s sequel, The Long Game, and is considering a slightly different approach to the production.

In an interview with Deadline, showrunner Tierney hinted that the second season will have plenty of source material from the novel. When asked if she planned to adapt the entire 416-page book, she playfully responded, “Who said I’m doing it all?” Fans have been wondering if the six episodes of season two would cover everything, fearing that important plot points might be cut. The season will focus on Shane and Ilya as they begin a new chapter in their relationship, including Ilya’s move to the Ottawa Centaurs hockey team and the launch of their charity, the Irina Foundation.

The first book in the Shane and Ilya series, Heated Rivalry, is a bit shorter than the second, coming in at around 372 pages. Author Tierney received praise for skillfully telling Shane and Ilya’s story in just five episodes, especially considering the show’s third episode focused on the love story of Scott Hunter and Kip Grady – the central plot of Reid’s first novel, Game Changer.

Besides considering multiple seasons for The Long Game, Tierney is also working with a co-writer on the new episodes. Michael Goldbach will collaborate with Tierney, helping to capture the detailed story from the book. Goldbach is expected to share a script with Tierney shortly, and Tierney recently praised his work in an interview with Deadline.

Mike is a close, longtime friend, but he’s also a truly talented writer – one of my favorites, actually. I recently told him how excited I was to read the first draft of a script he wrote for my show, and how lucky I feel to be able to read his work. He’s incredibly funny, insightful, and writes with a lot of emotion. What I especially appreciate is his ability to surprise you – he consistently takes stories in unexpected directions.

The second season of Heated Rivalry is expected to come out in spring 2027, and production will begin this summer. Casting for new characters from the second book is now happening, and the creators have said they’ll continue to prioritize Canadian actors for important roles.

No matter who gets the roles, the fact that The Long Game will likely be spread out over several seasons is good news for the devoted fans of Heated Rivalry. This allows the important storyline of Shane and Ilya to be fully explored, and it could also mean more seasons of Heated Rivalry in the future. Since Reid is writing a third book, Unrivaled (coming in 2027), the show would likely finish Shane and Ilya’s story in a potential fourth season—something fans will definitely appreciate.

All episodes of Heated Rivalry season 1 are streaming on HBO Max in the US.

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2026-04-08 21:11