Heated RivalryauthorRachel Reidis offering insight into what fans can expect, as well as her hopes, from the highly anticipated second season of the HBO Max and Crave series.
Reid discussed the future of the series in a recent interview with Variety, where she reflected on her early conversations with show creatorJacob Anderson, casting decisions, and the show's breakoutsuccess.
When asked about her expectations for Season 2, Reid suggested that the creative team is aligned on the direction. "I think we're on the same page about it," Reid said.
According to Reid, the story will continue to focus on Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), the fan favorite couple introduced in Season 1. "Obviously, the focus has to stay on Ilya and Shane," she said.
Reid reassured fans that the series will not shift to an entirely new romance in its second season. "We're not going to do Season 2 and it's a totally different couple." The author acknowledges, "It wouldn't be very popular."
That said, Reid acknowledged the strong response to other characters in theGame Changersuniverse. "Not that we weren't expecting it, but I think we're all surprised at how popular Scott and Kip were."
She added that the creative team is actively considering how to expand their roles. "OK, how do you get more Scott [Hunter] (François Arnaud) and Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.)?"
Reid believes Season 2 will largely draw fromThe Long Game,her 2022 sequel toHeated Rivalrywhich follows Ilya as he pushes to make their once-secret relationship public.
She noted that Anderson has previously referenced this direction in interviews, reinforcing the adaptation's focus.
However, Reid pointed out that the events ofThe Long Gameoverlap with another novel in the series,Role Modelcreating an opportunity for parallel storytelling. "There's another bookRole Model thatkind of overlaps it. So, I'm hoping that we'll get both stories told at the same time. I don't think there's another way you could do it."
Reid also expressed hope that Season 2 will receive an expanded episode order. "I'd go as high as 12, but maybe if it was just eight or 10, that would be nice."
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The complete first season ofHeated Rivalryis streaming now on HBO Max.
This story was originally published byParadeon Dec 31, 2025, where it first appeared in theTVsection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.