Lymphocytes with innate-like qualities such as γδ T cells, invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells), and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) serve unique and critical roles within the immune system. γδ T cells are widely distributed throughout mucosal and epithelial cell-rich tissues and serve as an important early source of interleukin (IL)-17 under inflammatory conditions. 1,2 γδ T cell subsets share effector programs with CD4 (helper) and CD8 (cytotoxic) T cells, but acquire their functional abilities by different developmental routes. Most γδ T cells differentiate into subsets with distinct effector functions in the thymus and can be rapidly activated in the periphery. To understand how divergent developmental pathways can lead to the same functional outcome, it is necessary to define the gene regulatory networks that operate in peripheral αβ T cells versus those that drive γδ T cell differentiation in the thymus. Our studies focus on the E protein transcription factor HEB, and the transcriptional regulatory network governed by HEB function. We have shown that the absence of HEB factors inhibits the development of IL-17 expressing γδ T cells (γδT17 cells), while allowing the development of interferon (IFN)γ-producing γδ T cells (γδT1 cells). 3 HEB is upstream of the known cascade of transcriptional regulatory events that drive γδT17 development, including Sox13, Sox4, and RORγt, placing it at the top of the hierarchy that controls this lineage choice. In this review, we will expand upon these results and place them in