GQL does seem to encourage, if not assume, a type-theoretical graph datastore as the backend. (Who couldn't whip such a thing together, if it were lacking?)
But it does not require one. This point may be lost in the tutorial and examples shown on graphql.org. There is no reason one could not map a basic GQL service onto an existing set of REST endpoints, with each one a type, and the return of their fields controlled by the request.