Two parts: honor and rank points
Blizzard simplified the original honor system for Forever, under the principle "Approachable and Familiar". Everything on this page is confirmed and comes from Blizzard's article of 7 October unless noted otherwise. Progress has two parts that run separately.
Honor is a currency. You earn it for defeating players, completing battlegrounds and finishing PvP quests. The battleground in its holiday week gives more. Blizzard has evened out honor rates across battlegrounds: players should be able to enjoy every map "without feeling compelled to choose Alterac Valley solely for Honor efficiency".
Rank points come from battlegrounds and PvP quests, again with a boost in the holiday week. They lead through the original ranks from Classic up to High Warlord (Horde) and Grand Marshal (Alliance). Ranks have a weekly cap - the foundation of the original system stays, the journey is meant to be more accessible.
Your progress is in the character pane (C) under the Player vs. Player tab: rank, current rank points, and what your rank lets you buy.
Two sets: blue and epic
Honor buys two PvP sets, a blue one and an epic one. The epic piece is the blue piece plus an Emboldened Seal, and those seals can only be bought from a certain rank. On top come new and reworked items for specializations that had no fitting PvP gear before. Blizzard's example: Shamans get a set each for healers, melee and casters.
What each rank unlocks
| Rank | Reward |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tabard |
| 2 | PvP trinket |
| 3 | Cloaks |
| 4 | Necklace |
| 5 | Combat potions |
| 6 | Tabard |
| 7 | Battle standard |
| 8 | Upgrade: epic bracers, epic belt |
| 9 | Upgrade: epic boots |
| 10 | Upgrade: epic gloves |
| 11 | Mounts |
| 12 | Upgrade: epic legs, epic shoulders |
| 13 | Upgrade: epic chest, epic helm |
| 14 | Epic weapons |
The upgrades from rank 8 are the Emboldened Seals that turn a blue piece into the epic one. How many rank points a rank costs and where the weekly cap sits, Blizzard has not said.
PvP seasons
Rank and honor are earned within a PvP season. Each season has a journey of weekly tasks that grant honor and rank points; three of them grant one Legacy point per season. Because they are tied to the Legacy system, they can still be completed in later seasons. How long a season lasts, Blizzard has not said.
In the beta
The development notes have touched the system twice since launch:
- 1 October: Honor costs for PvP gear and upgrade tokens go up, most by about 50%, "to better align with gear acquisition targets". The honor cap rises from 15,000 to 25,000 to match.
- 8 October: Critical strikes in PvP no longer have reduced efficacy.
Both are beta values and may change before launch. The first new battleground to earn all this on is the Darkspear Islands.