Heated Rivalry fans have been sent into detective mode after actor Dylan Walsh seemingly revealed more than he was supposed to about the hit queer hockey drama’s future.
Walsh, who plays Shane Hollander’s father David, made the apparent slip-up while recording a personalised Cameo video.
“Getting ready to go back up to Canada to shoot some more episodes, so I think we’re doing 12 this time,” he told a fan.
There was just one problem: 12 episodes hadn’t been officially announced.
Creator Jacob Tierney had previously indicated season two would follow the first season’s tight six-episode format, making Walsh’s comment potentially significant.
Fans immediately began speculating that season two could be twice as long as expected — or that seasons two and three might be filming back-to-back.
Walsh has since clarified that he was speaking “off the cuff” and doesn’t have official information to announce about the episode count. He apologised for creating confusion for the production and fans.
His Cameo account has also been paused, with Walsh writing: “Stepping away because a video went viral that got me in trouble.”
A hilariously appropriate way to leak Heated Rivalry
For fans of Rachel Reid’s books, the whole incident is particularly funny.
Season two is set to draw heavily from The Long Game, which continues the secret relationship between hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
In the novel, Shane’s best friend Hayden Pike accidentally reveals highly sensitive information while recording a video for a Cameo-style platform — which then spreads online.
Naturally, fans have noticed the similarity.
Walsh has consequently been dubbed a “real-life Hayden Pike”, while others have jokingly called for Cameo to “free” the actor.
Whether those mysterious 12 episodes actually exist remains unconfirmed.
What we do know is that season two is now in production in Canada, with Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie returning as Shane and Ilya alongside an expanding cast of characters from Reid’s Game Changers universe.
Until an official announcement arrives, fans will simply have to keep speculating.
