PALM SPRINGS, Calif.—Ducati Studios Network will release “Heart Throb,” the latest episode of its gay Western erotic drama Drifters, on June 17. The 40-minute episode stars Derek Kage and Ryan Orion and is described by the studio as the series’ most cinematic and emotionally charged installment to date.
Designed to work both within the larger Drifters storyline and as a stand-alone short film, “Heart Throb” highlights the chemistry between Kage and Orion. The episode arrives during a standout year for Kage, who recently earned Performer of the Year at the Grabby America Awards 2026.
Orion is one of the industry’s rising performers and a newly signed Falcon | NakedSword exclusive. “Heart Throb” features cinematography by award-winning filmmaker Ryan Bryan, and is written and directed by Daddy Patrick, with Trenton Ducati serving as executive producer.
“Drifters was created to bring more narrative, character, and emotional stakes into adult entertainment,” said Ducati.
“With ‘Heart Throb,’ Derek and Ryan show what happens when you pair great performers with real onscreen chemistry. The sex is passionate because the connection is there. It feels intimate, cinematic, and alive, which is exactly what we wanted this series to deliver.”
Set against a stylized desert-western backdrop, Drifters follows a group of men as they move through a world of desire, longing, freedom, and reinvention.
