In early versions of the game, some legendary weapons - those with unique titles and special effects indicated by red description text - were glitched to be generated at a higher rarity level than was allowed. The game engine, not having a rarity color to assign to these weapons, made their titles the default white, but still ranked them higher in the inventory due to their greater rarity. After prolonged debate about the origins and purpose of these weapons, participants in the discussions coined the term "pearlescents" to describe them.