Battlefield 6 is definitely on the way, expected to come late this year. While anticipation for it is high, there are a couple of factors here that might be limiting that anticipation a little bit, especially as compared to the Battlefield anticipation of old.
Firstly, the last few Battlefield games didn't quite amass the popularity of the older ones. While none of them were bad games, they didn't quite hit the same standard, or perhaps not the same notes, that fans of the series seem to expect. The reveal, and the game itself, is going to have to really come out swinging to get its legions of fans fully on board. The second reason for this is Battlefield 6's competition: Warzone.
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The tables have turned a little bit in recent years, with Call of Duty seizing the reigns that used to be held by Battlefield. Large-scale warfare isn't just a Battlefield brand now; Warzone has possibly become the most popular semi-realistic large-scale first-person shooter of all time.
Part of the reason Warzone was allowed to do this is because Battlefield has taken a hiatus from modern-day shooters, ever since Hardline; it's opted instead to occupy World War 1, followed by World War 2. There was a void of modern-day large-scale shooters, and at the same time as this was happening, Call of Duty put out the newest iteration of Modern Warfare, which severely revamped the usual Call of Duty gameplay into something that a lot more players enjoyed. That still wasn't large-scale, but it set in place the bones for what came soon after: Warzone.
An important aspect of Warzone that has definitely contributed to its popularity is that it's free. Even after Modern Warfare (which might be getting a sequel), there were people hesitant to pick up a Call of Duty game when it hadn't been their thing for a long time. So while they might not have been willing to dish out for Modern Warfare, Warzone was something they were willing to give a shot.
While it is in no way confirmed, many seem to think that Battlefield 6 is also going to have some kind of free-to-play mode. Whether or not that is a battle royale mode is impossible to say, but this could have the exact same effect on the Battlefield franchise as it had on the Call of Duty franchise.
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While Call of Duty may have been able to replicate some things from Battlefield (and still do plenty of its own things), Battlefield still has this hectic chaos-fueled energy that no other game has replicated. And at the end of the day, if Battlefield 6 is exactly as solid as Warzone, this could be the thing that helps push it a little bit over the top.
Warzone can be great fun, but there's something about the humongous variety of vehicles, weapons, classes, and overall options available in Battlefield that lends itself to creating scenarios that live in player's heads for a long time. If Battlefield can manage to put out a game that captures the best of the series' spirit, it stands a solid shot at competing with Warzone.
Battlefield 6 is in development for PS5 and Xbox Series X.