After making waves in 2025, Heated Rivalry is turning up the heat. The upcoming second season of the book-to-screen adaptation is coming in hot, and production has officially started. While the series won’t return on the 2026 TV schedule, the excitement is definitely building. So, unsurprisingly, when the show announced that it had begun filming, the comments section was full of unhinged reactions.
Season 2 of Heated Rivalry was announced late last year as Season 1 was airing, and fans were getting antsy for updates about The Long Game. They can now breathe easy, though, because it's Instagram offical that filming has begun. Take a look:
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Plenty of people shared their thoughts about this exciting announcement in the comments, and it’s not just the fans who are enthusiastic. Series creator Jacob Tierney and Edvin Ryding, one of the newest cast members of Heated Rivalry, took to the comments section to express their excitement for the new season:
- Jacob Tierney: Wheeeeeeeeeeee
- Edvin Ryding: LETSGOOOOO
A handful of companies were also getting in on the fun, and I am right there with them:
- Panera Bread: this is about to become my entire personality (again)
- Ottawa Tourism: Ok it’s happening it’s happening!!!
- Cameo: plz take good care of me
- Explore Canada: Our bodies are ready.
While I get why Ottawa Tourism and Explore Canada commented on this update (seeing as the show takes place there), and I've been told Cameo's comment will make more sense when Season 2 comes out, the Panera comment threw me in the best way. There is just something about a brand account in the comments of a post that has nothing to do with it that makes it even more hilarious, because it shows that whoever is running the social media of said company is just one of us.
Of course, many fans were as pumped as ever, too, and there was quite a lot of Caps Lock being used to prove that:
- perksofabby: I AM ABOUT TO BECOME AN EVEN MORE ANNOYING VERSION OF MYSELF LOOKOUT WORLD
- andrewsgrotto : Am I supposed to care? 🙄… (PRETENDING I DONT CARE SO IT COMES FASTER 😍)
- julietfoxreads: IS THAT TROY IN HARRIS’ OFFICE?! SHOW US THE CAKE POP 😱😱😱😱
- nicholascaldone: suddenly, life has meaning again.
- bexlewis: HBO is scared and asking me to please watch something else because it's not yet 2027 but I'm simply too seated!
I, for one, am super stoked for Season 2 of the hit hockey romance. As someone who has never read the books, I have no idea what to expect, aside from challenges for Ilya and Shane's relationship, and that just makes me even more hyped. More info is slowly being released about the new season, including new cast members such as Ryding, who is portraying Ilya’s teammate, Luca Haas. Even though it won’t be premiering until sometime in 2027, the wait will certainly be worth it. And the fact that they're now filming has me more pumped than I already was.
The other great thing about Season 2 of Heated Rivalry starting production is that we could be getting some BTS content in the near future. It may not be a lot because obviously we don't want spoilers, but this post gives me hope that we could get to photos of Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie and co. working soon.
If anything, the post confirming production has started should be enough for the time being. And you best believe I'll be ready for more updates and unhinged reactions to them when the time comes. For now, the first season of Heated Rivalry is streaming for those with an HBO Max subscription. Season 2 will be coming in 2027.
