>FFXIV has a "massive" graphics update after 11 years
>Get's mogged by a gacha game that came out only a year ago (the same year that FFXIV released said graphics update along with their newest expansion)

I honestly don't even think it's a graphics issue entirely, I think it's an art direction issue. Can anyone think of a single zone in the entirety of FFXIV that actually looks visually stunning, so much so that you wanted to stop and take a screenshot of the beautiful sight? Something that was truly jaw-dropping? I can't think of any besides Amaurot and seeing the world on fire at the end of the Amaurot dungeon. The art direction in FFXIV, when it comes to world design at least, is severely uninspired and unimaginative. Even games with shittier graphics than FFXIV or WuWa have still managed to have visually stunning setpieces. The worst examples I can think of in FFXIV is the entire Ala Mhigo region, Lakeland, and Kholusia. The total lack of anti-aliasing (even post-graphics update) and the completely washed out color scheme of the entire game only makes this worse.

The devs were showing off Tural and how "beautiful it was" and I yet it still looks like the same boring, uninspired world design as ever.

On the left is Square Enix's biggest moneymaker after a HUGE visual update that took 11 years to make.
Most of its dialogues and cutscenes are unvoiced and use generic emotes and static camera angles.
It's formulaic and afraid to experiment.
It costs $12-15 monthly and each expansion is $40.

On the right is a mid budget mobile game from some third rate developer.
Most of its dialogues and cutscenes are voiced, have unique animations and are well-directed.
Each update adds new mechanics and feels fresh.
It's free. And it's running on the engine that is almost as old as XIV.

Really makes you think.