'The Last of Us' creators clarify major change about Abby's introduction ahead of season 2 premiere

'The Last of Us' creators explain why Abby’s storyline was restructured in Season 2 to avoid major game spoilers.

Ahead of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere, co-creator Neil Druckmann has addressed a key creative change surrounding Abby, portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever, marking a significant departure from the video game’s original narrative structure. During a press conference on Monday, Druckmann explained why Abby’s introduction was shifted forward in the HBO adaptation.

“In the game, you play as Abby, so you immediately form an empathic connection with her, because you’re surviving as her, you’re running through the snow, you’re fighting infected,” Druckmann said. “We couldn’t do that in the show because you’re not playing as her.”

To avoid viewers waiting too long to understand her motivations — and to prevent spoilers leaking between seasons — the creators decided to introduce Abby’s ties to Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) much earlier.

“If we were to stick to a very similar timeline, viewers would have to wait a very, very long time to get that context,” Druckmann added. “It would probably get spoiled to them between seasons, and we didn’t want that.”

Season 2 picks up directly after the Season 1 finale, where Joel’s controversial decision to rescue Ellie by killing several Fireflies—including medical personnel—shocked fans. Abby, Dina (Isabela Merced), and Jesse (Young Mazino) are among the new characters now woven into this darker continuation of the story.

The second season of the Emmy-winning hit series premieres April 13 on HBO.