After a whirlwind month being collectively obsessed with Heated Rivalry, the first season of the hockey romance series comes to an end with episode 6 dropping on Crave and HBO Max on Dec. 26. Thankfully, both streaming services have already announced that season 2 has been renewed and is currently in the works to hopefully be released sometime next year.
Following the widely beloved penultimate episode and leading up to the season 1 finale, showrunner Jacob Tierney and the cast have been doing the rounds with interviews to further promote the show and tease what's to come. However, a recent interview from Tierney revealed an update for Heated Rivalry season 2 that will be disappointing for fans hoping for more episodes.
When asked by Gold Derby whether season 2 would have more than six episodes per the fandom's hopes for a longer season, Tierney said, "I don’t know if you’re going to get that. But you’re going to get a lot of content. Everyone’s pretty committed to this universe, in this world. So it’s going to be OK. It’s going to be good."
Tierney didn't flat-out confirm that Heated Rivalry season 2 would only have six episodes and that there's zero chance that an episode count increase could be in the cards. But he did wisely manage expectations that Crave will opt to order more episodes. While everyone surely wants a longer season to spend more time with Shane, Ilya, and Scott, this could actually be a good thing.
Heated Rivalry season 2 probably won't have more than 6 episodes—and that's okay
Clearly, Tierney has found a winning formula with Heated Rivalry. From the writing to the casting to the music, every element of the show is so finely tuned to near perfection. There's multiple reasons why the show has connected with millions of people around the world. Somehow, with only six episodes in its first season, the show doesn't feel like it's lacking anything at all.
Given the show's popularity and the high demand for season 2, it would make sense if Crave wanted to expand season 2. That would keep the show on the air longer if the streaming service sticks to a weekly release, which seems like a pretty obvious strategy to maintain for season 2. But Tierney might have other priorities for the show than extending the episode count just because he can.
In addition to expressing doubt that Heated Rivalry season 2 would have more than six episodes, Tierney also insisted that we will be getting "a lot of content" and that it's "going to be good." Who are we to doubt the person who created the show that saved 2025 from ending with a dull fizzle? As he said, he and everyone involved are "committed" to the universe Rachel Reid created.
Remember, sometimes more isn't better. There's such a thing as overcorrecting in the face of success, and that happens to more shows than we'd like to admit. Heated Rivalry doesn't have to prove anything, and the last thing we need is for the quality to decline at all because we wanted eight episodes and they needed to fill space with stories that end up boring, as Ilya would say.
As disappointing as it might be, keeping season 2 at six episodes will allow production to maintain its quick turnaround and ensure the episodes can begin rolling out (again, hopefully) by the same time next year. Plus, we're getting Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie back on our screens as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Don't forget Scott and Kip, too! Honestly, what more can we ask for?
The Heated Rivalry season 1 finale releases on Friday, Dec. 26 at 12 a.m ET on Crave and HBO Max.