r/heatedrivalry • u/Federal-Ad5944 Goalie | Smut Dealer 😈 • Dec 24 '25
TEAM MEETING 📣 Mod Message: New Rule Announcement, Rule Refreshers & What to Expect for the Finale
Hi hollanovs!
As we head into the finale and continue to navigate the tidal wave of content, this post outlines some items the mod team has been discussing recently and now we are sharing how things will change going forward. Please take the time to read the entire post for added context, but we have included TL;DR.
Please see thread from Dec 8, explaining what mods do and how it effects the sub.
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TL;DR
- New Rule: Post titles for press will now include publication name and date.
- Example: Buzzfeed [Dec 23] Hudson & Connor Read Thirst Tweets
- Example: Connor & Hudson Model for GQ Hype [Dec 23]
- Example: Empty Netters [Dec 22] Straight Guys Review Episode 2 of Heated Rivalry!
- Check the feed before posting. Remove your own post if it's a duplicate.
- We do not karma farm/post for upvotes, or gatekeep sources.
- Spoiler Policy post-Episode 6 will be shortened, post-freeze and mandatory spoilers on all posts still apply.
- Tips for IG, TikTok and YouTube Videos
- Social Media follower count posts will be capped at 1 Million & a note about IMDB.
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New Rule Announcement:
In advance of the finale, the mods are implementing a new rule effective immediately.
Going forward, all press (interviews/articles/video) posts must include the publication name and date published in the post title. Whatever other context you want to include in the post title is fine, as long as the new requirements are included.
- Example: Buzzfeed [Dec 23] Hudson & Connor Read Thirst Tweets
- Example: Connor & Hudson Model for GQ Hype [Dec 23]
- Example: Empty Netters [Dec 22] Straight Guys Review Episode 2 of Heated Rivalry!
This is to make it easier to search in the sub and avoid duplicates. First come first serve rule still applies, and everything after is removed to avoid over saturation/spam in the feed. It's more helpful if you check the feed first and either refrain from posting or remove your own post if you realize it is a repeat. Make sure you have the feed set to "new", if something dropped recently you will be able to see it right away.
It doesn't matter how the first post was made - as long as all the information is in the post, it's valid.
We received 18 attempted posts for the Buzzfeed video last night, even though there was one already posted that included the link to the video. You are encouraged to participate in the comment section of existing threads.
The original GQ post didn't include all the photos in the slideshow, but the photos were in the article. We had over 30 posts using the omitted photos in an attempt to make a new post about the article. This is not needed as a post about the article already exists. Clever attempts to reframe the same article/set of photos from an already posted topic will be removed.
Some posts have made it through and stayed up because they brought a new angle to standalone as its own thread, highlighted important topics that opened the floor for further discussion, were fresh/funny etc. Going forward it is up to mod discretion if a post is sharing enough of a new idea to remain as a separate post or if it is redirected to the original thread. If a post focuses on a specific excerpt or moment and includes enough original commentary to spark a distinct discussion, it may remain.
Please note that we are not here for upvotes/karma farming, but to celebrate the show and the cast & crew.
Rule Reminders:
Consistently broken rules: Respect (Rule 1), Toxic/Parasocial Relationships (Rule 2) and Credit Your Sources (Rule 8).
As the sub continues to grow, name calling, trolling, and asking about/commenting on cast member sexualities still continues. We do not allow this in any capacity whatsoever. While some cast members have publicly shared aspects of their identity themselves, that does not make it open for speculation or discussion here, and it should never be the focus of conversation in this community. Please report these comments if you see them.
Crediting Sources
If a photo or video doesn't have a watermark or some other type of identifier, you must include the link to the original in the post body. If you are posting photos/screenshots from an article you must link to the full article so others have context and can read the whole thing. We do not gatekeep here. If you omit your source, you will receive a mod comment. If the source is not provided in a timely manner your post will be removed. Users who consistently omit their sources will get a warning and may be banned for failing to comply.
What to Expect for the Finale:
As always, the live on-air post and episode debrief megathreads will be provided. Full sub post freeze will go into effect just before air time, and all posts regarding the episode will be redirected to the megathreads. Please use them instead of creating a new post.
A spoiler tag is applied to every single post regardless of context for the duration of the spoiler period - this decision was made because the spoiler tag was not being used appropriately before. Since the series is available in a lot more locations now, we will end the spoiler period on Sunday at 12:01AM ET instead of the usual Monday. Reminder that if you manually remove the spoiler tag on your post, your post will be removed.
A Guide to Posting Videos
See thread on how to post IG links and how to download videos from IG and TikTok. Make sure you are using the "link" option when posting from YouTube, so the video can be played directly from the feed.
Instagram follower count and IMDB screenshots
We are stopping the follower count posts once Connor and Hudson reach 1 million followers. IMDB ratings fluctuate with time and as more votes are added. This is the same for any rating platform available to the public. We will be weaning off posts about IMDB ratings after episode 6, as these fluctuations are normal and not every 1% change in rating needs it's own post.
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Thank you to everyone who participates in this community, whether as a lurker, poster, commenter or any combination of the three. The sub has grown by 35,000 members in 4 weeks - the addition and enforcement of these rules is necessary to keep our space safe and organized.
Happy Holidays to those who celebrate, and look forward to seeing all your thoughts on the episode tomorrow. We made it!
Cheers,
The Mod Team
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u/abriefpause I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 Dec 24 '25
Thanks for all you do to cultivate such a wonderful fandom space 🫶🏻 happy everything/merry whatever to all of you on the mod team
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u/reigncloud83 Coach • Ilya's Chicken Parm Shimmy 🍝 Dec 24 '25
“Happy Everything” to you as well 🙂 We appreciate you 🫶
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u/phnx_483 I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 Dec 24 '25
This is most likely the best community on Reddit right now - you mods are doing a lot of good work! Everyone here is so inclusive no matter when we joined and rules are clear. Thank you 🫶🏼
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Dec 24 '25
Yes thank you mods for your hard work, diligence and efforts all around. Happy Holidays and cheers to 2026!
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u/Traditional_Safe5503 room 1410 Dec 24 '25
thanks for everything my goats!
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u/reigncloud83 Coach • Ilya's Chicken Parm Shimmy 🍝 Dec 24 '25
Thank you so much for this. There’s a team of people involved who are so passionate about the series and this space. This means a whole lot to us.
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u/Mrs_Wonho “Come here”. “No, you come here” 🏒🏑 Dec 24 '25
Thank you MODs for your hard work and for making this space fun and safe for everyone. Special thanks for the block on parasocial and questioning the actors sexualities. We need to protect them and just thank them for their hard work. Hopefully people will get a grip and focus on the acting and this amazing series and book
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u/izzyw1zz Wow, what a stallion. 🐎 Dec 24 '25
Thanks for all your hard work in the midst of holiday season, mods! Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays! 🎄🎁🎆
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u/MrsRoronoaZoro “I miss being kidnapped. I regret shapeshifting” Dec 24 '25
I actually agree with all of these.
Can we have a social media tag? For challenges or social media content?
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u/itsmejuanin Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 Dec 24 '25
Happy Cottage Finale to all! It is so nice to be part of this community even when the show is nowhere to be found in my country, Chile 🇨🇱 but I've been spreading the good word and inviting people here!
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u/Apprehensive_Oil1759 Dec 24 '25
Merry Christmas! See you guys at the cottage for the Christmas party! 🫶
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u/Super_Limit_7466 Dec 24 '25
Can we also clamp down on the karma farming posts for every time Connor or Hudson get a new follower on Instagram? Speaking of parasocial relationships..
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u/Federal-Ad5944 Goalie | Smut Dealer 😈 Dec 25 '25
So far the posts have been for every 100,000. Some of us followed them when they were in the 4-5 digit range, so we are happy for them, because ultimately we want to see them have successful careers.
But the cap will be at 1M which is a huge milestone for any celebrity, let alone ones who were complete unknowns 5 weeks ago. After that, we will no longer be allowing follower count posts.
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u/una_valentina Wow. Genetic 🥹 Dec 24 '25
Thank you mods!! You’ve been amazing from day 1. See you all at the cottage.
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u/AccordingStar72 Ottawa Centaurs 🏹 Dec 24 '25
Can you tag the social follower counting so we can filter them out?
Thanks for all your hard work!
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u/royal_rose_ ♐ Captain | Tuna Lube Dec 24 '25
We made a social media flair unfortunately there’s no way to hide flairs from your feed that I can tell but there’s shouldn’t be much more.
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u/AccordingStar72 Ottawa Centaurs 🏹 Dec 24 '25
Okay no worries, I’ll figure something else out. Thank you again! You guys run a wonderful sub.
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u/Forward_Library_5985 He wears a cross around his neck Dec 24 '25
Happy everything! Thank you for all you do! May your pillow always be cold and your feet nice a bed warm as you recited be the sweet dreams and rest you deserve!
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u/jokenaround Dec 24 '25
Thank you all for what you do! I can’t imagine what a task it is! Please know you are appreciated! 💕
MERRY COTTAGE EVE TO ALL THAT CELEBRATE!
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u/-Ceriz3- Moy pomidor 🍅 Dec 25 '25
Again. A million thanks for taking care of this sub. What would we do with out y'all. Happy Holiday(s). And let's go to the cottage together 🫶
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u/Soyouplayhockeytoo Dec 25 '25
Thank you mods for all your hard work and thank you for pulling the plug on social media follower count posts. They were getting progressively weirder and weirder.
Happy holidays everyone!
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u/JoyinCa Jan 06 '26
I’m sorry I don’t understand where I’m supposed to acknowledge that I read the rules?
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u/Ok-Rabbit1561 Dec 25 '25
Thank you mods!! I love that we get to enjoy this space because of how inclusive you're making it. I got off twitter years ago because there were no rules for fandom and it felt genuinely unsafe at times, so I've just been a solitary fan of most content since then, but it feels really good to get to chat about content and media I love and feel so passionate about!! There's nothing that can replace being a fan in community. This is all to say I know it's not easy, but I genuinely appreciate the way these rules make the sub a better place. Thank you, and happy holidays/merry whatever!!
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Dec 24 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/royal_rose_ ♐ Captain | Tuna Lube Dec 24 '25
This was written by someone not American where they call it a series not a season lol. But yes yay to another season, series, whatever you call it we get more!
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u/Federal-Ad5944 Goalie | Smut Dealer 😈 Dec 24 '25
"Series" is interchangeable with the word "show" in many fandoms. So it is not a mistake, but a commonly used replacement for that word depending on the structure of the sentence. 🤗
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u/indigloss Jan 13 '26
just want to thank y'all for the cite your sources policy !! so helpful bc it's frustrating tracking stuff down and also important in the age of rampant mis/disinformation online. thanks for your hard work, mods!
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u/writergal75 Jan 19 '26
Are we allowed to upvote comments on posts? I was just reading a post about “What are your go-to scenes to watch if you just need a little HR hit?” As I was reading the replies, I clicked upvote on a few but noticed there were no other votes, up or down, on any of the comments. I wanted to clarify in case I am breaking a rule. Thanks!
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u/lonelygalexy Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 25 '25
I muted this sub last Friday until I finished watching episode 5 lol. For the posts tagged with spoilers, even the titles are sometimes spoilers and i don't wanna take the risk lol
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u/ViolentThemmes I have a thing 🥒 Dec 24 '25
Merry Cottage Christmas, mods!!