The new system will not require the new expansion to use.
With the 2.0.1 content patch a new honor system will be put in place. Rather then a competitive ladder players will be able to earn rewards at their own pace (something that was impossible with the old system unless "your own pace" meant playing 16 hours a day for months). Here is a list of things we know and don't know about the new system.
- You will earn
[Honor Points] by fighting in battlegrounds and engaging in world PvP. - You spend these points and marks of honor on rewards, higher level rewards will require battleground marks of honor from specific battlegrounds. These tokens will be the existing marks of honor but some rewards (such as PvP reward mounts) will require more marks of honor than it is currently possible to have.
- Points from the old system will not transfer into the new system.
- Battleground reputation rewards will be rolled into the new honor system. Although no items will be unlocked through the honor system you may have other benefits.
- It is unknown how easy it will be to earn high-level armour sets.