Rode my 2012 Turner 5-Spot right up until 2 years ago.
Finally replaced it with a 2022 Canfield Tilt (29er).
What finally made me switch was not the wheel size. It was the modern geometry.
The reason I will likely never ride 26 again is simply the fact that there are no 26ers with modern geometry.
All that said, if all I had to ride was a 25 year-old 26er, I’d still enjoy the hell out of the sport.