User blog comment:Mckrongs/Monster Hunter 4 for the Nintendo 3DS/@comment-11685710-20130916115925/@comment-4815503-20130916142150

I think that if there was one, we would know by now... It seems the developers are allowing that field to lie fallow this time around. I think it's very likely that theatre of combat will be back in one of this generations subsequent games, but for now, Diablos and friends are probably on vacation.

I wonder if the lack of a desert area is part of the reason the popular Barioth and the third ape monster Blangonga were left out, seeing as this game has subspecies and their subs were desert monsters? Perhaps not, but it's possible, I suppose.