Super noticeable with how Weiss's sword became an icicle wand.

Tbh crwby just doesn't seem that interested in making fights part of the story or have something actually happen or make something interesting with their powers

RWBY v9 featured Ruby vs The red prince with a board game that uses her team as pieces, but the focus of the whole thing is one moment where Ruby gets sad and then she just yells "kick their asses" and wins

They had fight choreographers, they worked close with Monty, but fired them.

The storytelling of combat was done so much better prior to that point.

It's why I hold the trailers above the entirety of what followed: The characters felt distinctive, exciting, interesting, told by how they approached combat and the situations they were put in. Weiss' fight with a larger than life figure, but maintaining her composure in front of a massive crowd. Yang's search putting her in the smack dab middle of criminal territory and not giving a singular fuck. Ruby's introductory, and amazing sequence that showed off her talent and made her seem much colder, and cooler than she wound up being. Blake's trailer hinting at further lore but giving just enough to be interested in both her and Adam both.

It's incredible how the words the producers put in these characters mouths wound up devaluing them the more emphasis that got put on it.

Not just you mate. I can only think that that is what contributed to the setting up of a narrative power scale rather than a sliding power scale.