Heated Rivalry made history as it became the biggest winner at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards. This comes as no surprise, considering the series, based on Rachel Reid’s famous Game Changers book series, was a massive hit on HBO after its release. It has continued to grow in viewership long after the end of its first season.

Last February, the show averaged 10.6 million viewers per episode in the US, as per Warner Bros. Discovery. Apart from audiences, several celebrities also took to social media to express their admiration for the series. And this year, the show has continued a successful run with a new record.

Heated Rivalry won 16 awards at the Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama Series. As per Film Updates, the series won every category it was nominated in. Now, with 16 wins, the show has the most wins at the event. 

Meanwhile, William Hudson received the award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. During his acceptance speech, the actor said he wished he could split the award in two and dedicate the other half to his co-star, “honorary Canadian” Connor Storrie. Storrie was not eligible for the award as he is American.

“I'm honoured to be Canadian, and this is fantastic,” Williams said during his acceptance speech, as reported by Yahoo news.

“I want to thank some people, the cast and crew of Heated Rivalry, thank you for being such a warm space. Crave, thank you for putting money into our beautiful, straightforward hockey show. HBO, thank you for getting some more eyes on it.

Before Heated Rivalry, the record for most wins was held by the film, BlackBerry, as per the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. The film won 13 awards in 2024. Now, the success of Heated Rivalry has also spawned a second season for the show.

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With several speculations and chatter around Season 2, here is a closer look at the progress and release window for the upcoming installment.

Heated Rivalry Season 2 has already been greenlit and is currently in development. Creator Jacob Tierney, in conversation with Gayle King on CBS, said that filming is scheduled to begin in August once he completes the scripts. While there is no confirmed release date, the new season is expected to premiere in spring 2027. 

The upcoming season will adapt The Long Game, the sixth novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. The book follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov a decade into their secret relationship, as they disagree over whether to finally go public. And that will become the focus in Season 2, which could soon begin filming. 

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What do you think about Heated Rivalry's new feat? Let us know in the comments.