Going into Heated Rivalry season 2, there has been endless buzz and excitement, but there's been one major concern among fans of the books: How will Jacob Tierney fit the entirety of The Long Game into one six-episode season of television? Well, after the latest update from the showrunner, our concerns might have been completely unfounded.
In an interview with Deadline, writer-director Jacob Tierney suggested that he might not be covering all of Rachel Reid's second book centered on Shane and Ilya. "Who said I’m doing it all? There’s a lot of material," he told the outlet. With just two sentences, the creator quelled any major worries that Heated Rivalry season 2 would either be overstuffed or leave out some key moments.
But Tierney also opened up a whole new world of curiosity for fans. If The Long Game won't be fully adapted in season 2, how much would be left to cover in a potential third season? And will there be enough room in that third season to also adapt Unrivaled, Reid's forthcoming new sequel? Tierney didn't spill any additional teases about the distant future, but it certainly sounds promising.
The Long Game could be split into Heated Rivalry season 2 and 3
While Heated Rivalry, both the book and the series, took place across nearly a decade, The Long Game doesn't have the same bold timeframe, which surely makes the page-to-screen adaptation easier. But Tierney's right that the book contains so much great, rich storytelling for Shane and Ilya, who are now in a committed relationship and facing various realities of their future together.
Without giving away too many major spoilers for those who haven't read The Long Game, the book explores Ilya's challenges with depression, the couple's complications in the long-distance relationship, a near-death plane incident, two different (but equally adorable) weddings, an inadvertent outing, and the aftermath of revealing their truth to the league and the world.
In addition to other big tentpole moments, the book features countless sweet, intimate, and smaller moments between Shane and Ilya that fan have been looking forward to seeing in the show. Tierney's latest tease makes us wonder at what point in The Long Game he might chose to end season 2. Whether it's a dramatic cliffhanger or another bittersweet but hopeful moment remains to be seen.
Tierney also revealed that his new Heated Rivalry season 2 co-writer Michael Goldbach has recently finished a first draft of a script and doubled down on their intention to keep taking the source material seriously. Shane and Ilya are still headed for a happy ending, but there will be more than a few bumps in the road in order to get there, including from inside and outside forces.
"The Long Game is like sex Scenes from a Marriage. I don’t want to say we are making Bergman here, but you’ve got your happy ending, you’re in love, you get to be in a relationship. But, as most adults know, you think that’s when it gets easy? It’s not. That’s when it gets hard. That’s when you have to make real decisions. That’s when real life can often smack you in the face," Tierney said.
He continued, "We’re just continuing to give Shane and Ilya the seriousness that this love affair deserves while also continuing to exist within the confines of the genre that we’re in, which I love. I want them to be happy, but I also want to show that that’s not easy. Because part of what Rachel does so brilliantly in her writing is to give queerness joy, but also not pretend the world isn’t the world."
Heated Rivalry season 2 won't shy away from the realities of Shane and Ilya facing criticism in the athletic world, whether it's their teammates, their bosses, or their fans. There are various parts of The Long Game that will be difficult to watch play out on screen, but based on what Tierney's read and written so far, he can't wait to see Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie bring them to life.
He's not the only one counting down the days and minutes until the breakout smash-hit series returns to our watch lists. Heated Rivalry season 2 is currently expected to begin filming later this summer for a release sometime by spring 2027. We'll be sharing all the latest updates as production prepares to kick off and casting announcements begin to roll in!