The spotlight will be on Abby for longer than non-gamers expect when The Last of Us returns.

Per Entertainment Weekly, showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin spoke at a press conference following season 2’s finale and discussed the shocking, but game-accurate, confrontation between Ellie and Abby and how its accompanying twist sets up season 3. After holding Ellie at gunpoint, the episode rewinds time to “Day One” in Seattle, indicating that, just like the game, the next season will explore what Abby was doing while Ellie embarked on her vengeance quest.

This, Mazin explained, will further challenge the audience’s notion of heroes and villains in The Last of Us‘ universe, stating, “There is another side to this story that we have yet to really delve into. There’s no question that Abby is the hero of her story. Kaitlyn Dever is the hero of a story, always. If you have a Kaitlyn Dever, you use a Kaitlyn Dever. So I think where we go next, all I can say is it will always be centering somebody, whether it’s Ellie and Dina, or whether it’s Abby and Abby’s relationship with Owen or new relationships.”

There’s no question that Abby is the hero of her story.

When asked what this means for the story’s direction, Mazin coyly teased, “All I can say is, we haven’t seen the last of Kaitlyn Dever and we haven’t seen the last of Bella Ramsey and we haven’t seen the last of Isabela Merced and we haven’t even seen the last of a lot of people who are currently dead in the story.” Druckmann also hyped up key moments from the Abby levels making their way to season 3, insisting, “There’s just an epic nature to it of what’s about to happen, but this other story’s going to be really important coming back to Joel and Ellie and everything that you’ve seen so far.” Some setpieces referenced by the duo included Abby making her way across a giant crane bridge and battling the Rat King, a grotesque Infected boss monster locked in the hospital basement from season 2.

Much like its source material, The Last of Us Part II, season 2 has been met with a polarized reception, earning stronger critics reviews compared to its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. These controversies ranged from Dever not sharing Abby’s muscular game physique to Bella Ramsey’s performance to Abby following through with killing Joel early in the season, kicking Ellie’s revenge journey into motion. In addition to shifting focus to Abby’s POV and relationship with her friends killed by Ellie, season 3 will also potentially focus on Seattle’s WLF/Seraphite war, with the finale hinting at a massive battle shown during Part II‘s Abby storyline.

Season 3 Is Expected to Start Filming This Year

Production on season 3 is reportedly expected to begin this year, though an official release date remains unknown. Outside The Last of Us, game developer Naughty Dog is working on a new game titled Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, with HBO star Tati Gabrielle set to play its lead character.

The Last of Us season 2 is currently streaming on Max.