Nova

The Benelli Nova stands as the premier long-range pump-action shotgun of Counter-Strike 2. Constructed with a lightweight one-piece polymer stock and receiver manufactured in Italy, the Nova redefines expectations for the shotgun class. While traditional video game shotguns are notoriously constrained to point-blank encounters, the Nova boasts exceptionally tight pellet spread and minimal dispersion, allowing a skilled marksman to land high-impact headshot clusters at distances where other shotguns fire harmless blanks. Available to both Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists, the Nova functions as a lethal, high-return ambush weapon on anti-eco rounds.

Ballistically, each 12-gauge shell discharged by the Nova expels 9 heavy lead pellets, with each individual pellet inflicting 26 base damage. When fired at center-mass, a clean point-blank blast delivers a staggering 234 potential damage against unarmored targets. While its armor penetration rating is modest at 50 percent, its tight pellet grouping ensures that aiming at the neck and head of an armored adversary will consistently land multiple pellets in the head hitbox, delivering an instantaneous elimination up to medium ranges. The tubular magazine accommodates 8 shells, supported by 32 shells in reserve.

The mechanical defining feature of the Nova is its pump-action cadence cycling at 68 rounds per minute. Because each shell must be manually pumped into the chamber following discharge, the shooter cannot afford to miss. However, the weapon allows for tactical round-by-round reloading: a player can interrupt the reload animation at any moment by tapping the primary fire key, instantly discharging whatever shells have already been loaded into the tube. Furthermore, the Nova retains remarkable moving and jumping accuracy, enabling operators to leap around corners or fire from elevated perches—such as Mirage B-Site Van or Nuke Heaven—while maintaining a dense pellet pattern.

In the competitive economy, the Nova is an astonishingly lucrative investment priced at just $1,050. Like all shotguns in Counter-Strike 2, the Nova rewards the user with a massive $900 kill bonus—triple the standard rifle payout. In rounds following a pistol victory where the opposing team is forced into an unarmored save, purchasing a Nova can generate astronomical economic returns: securing two eliminations yields $1,800 in bounty cash, completely reimbursing the initial purchase price and funding top-tier rifles for subsequent rounds.

Esports history features legendary shotgun showcases where top-tier professionals utilized the Nova to turn tournament dynamics on their head. Swedish icon Jesper "JW" Wecksell famously incorporated the Nova into Fnatic aggressive map-control setups, catching unsuspecting opponents off guard in tight corridors on Inferno and Cobblestone. In modern CS2, defensive anchors frequently purchase the Nova to lock down close-quarters choke points during weak force-buys.

In the virtual skins market, the Nova boasts several vibrant, highly prized collector finishes. The Nova Hyper Beast from the Wildfire Case is a celebrated masterpiece featuring the signature psychedelic monster design. Other standout finishes include the sleek Nova Antique with its polished mahogany and brass scrollwork, the vibrant Quick Sand, the radioactive Green Apple, the clean Clear Polymer, and the elegant Bloomstick. The Nova remains a venerable and profitable cornerstone of heavy tactical firepower in Counter-Strike 2.