The producers of Heated Rivalry have asked fans to stop crowding the show's filming locations. In a joint Instagram statement posted on August 4, 2026, the show's official account and Jacob Tierney's production company Accent Aigu Entertainment urged followers to "give our cast and crew the space they need to do what they do best" at filming locations Deadline.

The plea comes as production on Season 2 gears up. An earlier post from the show's account, titled "To our beloved fans," confirmed that Season 2 begins filming this month Instagram. Series creator Jacob Tierney has said filming is expected in and around Toronto through summer and fall 2026, with a release target of spring 2027 Deadline.

Heated Rivalry airs on Crave and HBO Max, a partnership between the Canadian streaming platform and the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned service. The series stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two professional hockey players whose fierce on-ice rivalry hides a secret relationship, according to the show's official Instagram account Instagram.

Season 2 adapts The Long Game, the sixth book in Rachel Reid's novel series. The story picks up with Shane and Ilya after ten years of seeing each other Deadline.

The production has been building visibility for months. In February, Accent Aigu Entertainment announced it was releasing Heated Rivalry Team Canada fleece jackets Instagram. The company has also filed a trademark for "CENTAURS" under the Heated Rivalry production umbrella Instagram.

In April, the cast spoke out against online hate with a shared message: "None of us need your hateful love." The post was reposted by castmate Robbie G.K., creator Jacob Tierney, and author Rachel Reid Instagram.

For fans, the latest statement is a simple ask dressed in warm language. The production is not shutting down, and no filming has been disrupted according to the reports available. The message is that the show can only happen if the people making it can work without a crowd watching every take.

A crew of hundreds is about to spend months on Toronto-area sets, bringing the next chapter of Shane and Ilya's story to screens. The producers would rather they did it without an audience on the sidewalk.