Heated Rivalry Season 2 will reportedly introduce another popular character from the novel series it is based on. The sports romance drama series lit the world on fire when it was released in late 2025, gaining fans worldwide. Season 2 of Heated Rivalry is now official, and it will continue its adaptation of Rachel Reid's Game Changer book series.
A casting report shared by entertainment scooper Daniel Richtman revealed a new character set to appear in Season 2 of Heated Rivalry. The listing is for the recurring series role of Troy Barrett (Male, 25), an "all-star forward" described as "cocky and confident" with a "hurt, sensitive side." The notice also warns that the role will include sex, nudity, and kissing scenes, with skating and hockey experience being an asset:
"[TROY BARRETT] Male, 25. A cocky and confident exterior comes crashing down for this all-star forward, revealing a hurt, sensitive side he spent years trying to hide. *This role will have implied sex, nudity and kissing. This character will be bare-chested, bare-buttocks-no full frontal nudity. Skating or Hockey is an asset but not necessary. This role may require an option... SERIES RECURRING"
Troy Barrett will likely play a significant role in Heated Rivalry Season 2 as the character is one of the leads in Reid's fifth Game Changer novel, Role Model. In the book, Barrett is a down-on-his-luck hockey player traded to the Ottawa Centaurs after a breakup and scandal. On the new team, Barrett gains a reputation for being grumpy and stand-offish, particularly toward the team's social media manager, Harris Drover. However, a spark eventually begins to form between Troy and Harris, prompting Troy to embrace his true self.
Heated Rivalry became known for its bold sex scenes and was praised for its depictions of queer relationships on screen. As the casting notice mentions, the role of Troy Barrett will include sex, nudity, and kissing, confirming this level of intimacy will continue into Season 2 and will, this time, include Troy and Harris' love story.
Heated Rivalry producer, Jacob Tierney, confirmed to Deadline in April that Season 2 of the HBO Max show would primarily be based on Reid's sixth Game Changer novel, The Long Game. This is the second and most recent of the six Game Changer books to focus on Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov's (Connor Storrie) relationship, making it a logical step for Season 2. However, that's not stopping Season 2 from drawing on more characters from the wider Game Changer world.
How Does Troy Barrett Fit Into Heated Rivalry Season 2?
With Heated Rivalry Season 2 set to adapt The Long Game, Shane and Ilya's romance is still very much at the forefront. But those worried that Troy and Harris may not get the moment they deserve shouldn't be worried.
Role Model is set in the same world and timeline as Heated Rivalry, meaning characters like Ilya (the captain of Troy's team), Shane, and Scott do appear throughout Troy and Harris' story. Adapting this book in Season 2 will only expand the world of Heated Rivalry, as was successfully done in Season 1 with Scott Hunter and Kip Grady's arc.
The first season of Heated Rivalry focused on the love story between Scott and Kip in Episode 3, with Shane and Ilya taking a backseat. Scott and Kip are the main characters of the first Game Changer novel and became co-leads in the show after their solo episode.
While Heated Rivalry had to truncate many of the events from Game Changer, it didn't diminish the impact of Scott and Kip's story, and they felt naturally integrated into the show. It appears that Heated Rivalry Season 2 may take a similar route with Troy and Harris, possibly giving them a dedicated episode before incorporating them as series regulars.
