Videogaming 247 are reporting that Microsoft are funding a gang of defectors from Realtime Worlds - Ruffian Games - specifically to start work on Crackdown 2. The news should come as no surprise as "the official Microsoft hype master" Major Nelson (Larry Hryb) hinted at a sequel recently. According to the same report Crackdown lead designer Billy Thomson is connected with Ruffian and so is a number of former Realtime Worlds employees.
As much as we love to see Crackdown 2 we just hope the defections don't interfere too much with the development of APB.