Crave Renews Megahit Gay Drama for a Highly Anticipated Second Season

Fans of Heated Rivalry are in luck, Season 2 of the Crave and HBO Max hit series is officially on the way, though it may be a while before new episodes land. The Canadian queer romantic drama became a surprise sensation when it premiered on Nov. 28, 2025, quickly turning into a streaming favorite.

The show, created by Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy), is based on the second novel of Rachel Reid’s bestselling Game Changers series. It follows Canadian hockey star Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian superstar Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) as they navigate a secret, forbidden romance over the course of a decade. Their enemies-to-lovers story mixes passion, rivalry, and rising stardom.

Tierney told podcaster Evan Ross Katz, “One of the things that [the romance] genre doesn’t get is taken seriously and I think this relationship, not only do I think it can sustain six hours, I think it wants it… It’s asking for it.”

Crave officially renewed Heated Rivalry for a second season on Dec. 12. HBO Max confirmed it will return in the U.S. and in international markets, including Australia, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Both Williams and Storrie have reportedly signed on for three seasons, according to GQ Hype. Tierney told Collider that he has an ideal number of seasons in mind but wouldn’t reveal it yet.

Fans are eager to know when Season 2 will premiere. The first season wrapped with the finale episode The Cottage on Dec. 26, 2025, a finale many fans celebrated online as “Cottagemas.” No official premiere date for Season 2 has been announced, but Williams suggested to Variety that filming could start in “July or August,” which would likely mean a late 2026 or early 2027 release.

Tierney confirmed the wait, saying, “It can’t be same time next year because this time last year I’d written five of these [scripts], 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.”

Season 2 may continue to feature six episodes, Tierney hinted to Gold Derby, similar to the first season. Until filming starts, no trailer or teaser is available, but fans can rewatch the entire first season on HBO Max in the U.S.

The show is inspired by Reid’s six-book Game Changers series. The television adaptation takes its name from the second novel, published in 2019, which focuses on Shane and Ilya’s secret romance.

Their story continues in the sixth book, The Long Game (2022), where the couple faces tough choices between love and their hockey careers. Reid told Elle she might continue the story in another book if it feels necessary, adding, “I don’t want to ruin the series by forcing it. It would have to feel necessary. And if that happens, then yes, I’ll do it.”

The other books in the Game Changers series follow different couples in the same hockey world, like Scott Hunter and Kip Grady in Game Changer and Ryan Price and Fabian Salah in Tough Guy. Many of these characters weave in and out of the television series as well, providing Easter eggs for fans of the novels.

With Season 2 on the horizon, fans can spend the coming months rewatching every tense, steamy moment of Shane and Ilya’s first season while anticipating what’s next.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!