The tripartite network of Prdm14, Blimp1, and AP2γ is essential for the important process of germ cell specification, but their precise molecular mechanisms of action remain lacking. Tu and colleagues (2016) report in Nature that the transcriptional co-repressor CBFA2T2 is an essential interactor protein regulating PRDM14 function, shedding light into the mechanisms directing germline formation and pluripotency.