Looking through the list of 35mm format lenses that Pentax is discontinuing, it seems that they are adopting a strategy similar to the one stated by Canon a while ago: a new smaller digital specific format for "amateur level" (DA, about 16x24mm), and a larger format for the high end. The difference is that Pentax's larger digital format will be something like 33x44mm or 36x48mm instead of 24x36mm, using their existing medium format lenses.
Clearly Pentax is cutting ties to the possibility of introducing a high end 35mm format DSLR system, since their 35mm format lens discontinuations include both of their f/2.8 zooms (28-70 and 80-200), all portrait lenses, all macro lenses, all primes at focal lengths below 28mm, and both fish-eyes. They do have new DA format counterparts for many of these, or 35mm lenses that do the job with DA format, but there is nothing for DA format as far as zooms f/2.8 or faster, or any wide angle option faster than f/4.