Heated Rivalry creator open up about the criticism on the show

Heated Rivalry is one of the most popular shows on air right now, telling the story of two hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who play on rival teams, but develop a secret sexual relationship over the years of their careers. This relationship, which was casual and purely sexual at first, turns into much more with time. Viewers have been loving the love story of these two athletes unfold with every episode, but there has also been some criticism.

Since the show is based on the Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid, and the show's main fanbase is straight women, Heated Rivalry has been criticised for conforming to stereotypes. Besides, the criticisms have also been regarding opinions that the show fetishizes gay relationships without actually understanding them. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, series creator, Jacob Tierney opened up about the criticism of the show.

Jacob Tierney on the criticism received by Heated Rivalry

Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave in Canada and on HBO Max in the United States on November 28, 2025. The show has released five episodes so far, and the sixth and final episode, The Cottage, will be released on December 26, 2025. Despite the first season having very few episodes, it has managed to be the most-watched original series on Crave, and has also become a huge success on HBO Max. But the show has received criticism since many queer men feel that the show was made just to entertain straight women, and not to actually tell a gay love story.

While there isn't a specific formula for making a show about a love story, a few things need to be kept in mind by producers when telling queer stories, since not many are told and not many are told in an authentic way. Heated Rivalry doesn't seem to exist purely for the entertainment of straight women, and tells a realistic story of two closeted athletes falling in love.

However, queer audiences are free to have their opinions as well. As the creator, writer, and director of the show, Jacob Tierney has opened up about the criticism the show has received.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Tierney said,

“We as queer people need to check our messaging,”

Referring to the show's inspiration, the novels, being written Rachel Reid, Tierney said,

“The things that we decide women can or can’t do can be really exhausting. Women are allowed to write about men. They’re allowed to write about gay men. The question should be, how are they writing about us? Is it with empathy? Is it with allyship? Is it with kindness? Why are we looking for enemies here instead of looking for allies?"

Tierny has addressed the criticism in perhaps the most calm and respectful way possible. He hasn't attacked anyone, but pointed out that even women writing about gay men is allyship till the time they are doing it from a place of respect and empathy, and the queer community doesn't necessarily have to see them as enemies. It also highlights that just because the show includes a lot of explicit scenes, it doesn't mean Reid or the creatives behind the show do not want to focus on the actual relationship between Shane and Ilya.

Heated Rivalry episode 6, The Cottage, will be released on HBO Max on December 26, 2026.

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