Why does the map look so grainy?

[Na]

Im not sure if you can see it the screenshot (it looks 5x worse in game) but the map looks overly grainy.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2787650625

I tried different graphic and gpu settings and a different gpu driver.
I last played after leviathan was released and it looked normal then.

[Sharpie The Dragon]

Looks like mine as well. I don't think it's a problem with being 'grainy'. Just that is how the map is textured. If you scale out near the Sahara, you can see the many copies of desert texture it uses.

If you're talking about those patches on land, they're just trees.